A Lexus Bold IS Story: The Day I Met Max

Brian Bolain, Lexus Corporate Marketing Manager, recounts his experience working with Honored Kid Max for the Lexus Bold IS promotion.

I met Max on February 11 and he told me he was “6 and a half” years old. The next day, he turned 7.

As we sang Happy Birthday to Max, I realized that time moves very slowly when you’re a kid, and he was very proud of that “half” on his age. He has every right to be. At his young age, Max has had numerous surgeries for a brain tumor and is about to undergo another round of treatment to try to conquer his childhood cancer.

Stories like Max’s make me proud Lexus is working with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for the Lexus Bold IS promotion. Kids like Max and their families don’t have any choice but to be bold when it comes to facing challenges. Through this promotion, we’re encouraging people to show solidarity with kids with cancer by being bold and shaving their heads.

The day we met, Max and I filmed a promotional video for Lexus Bold IS in our company’s automobile museum, and Max had the opportunity to walk around and see all the historical vehicles, displays, and race cars. That may have been cool for him, but I could tell the best part of the whole day was his green lollipop.

As we shone lights on him and he practiced his lines, his dad kept a sugar-free lollipop handy. Max is on a special diet to prepare for his treatment so he couldn’t have the chocolate chip cookies one of the crew members offered to him, but he was happy to sneak some licks of that lollipop between takes. See if you can spot a little bit of green tongue as he speaks on the video!

That day, Max was just a kid doing a very adult thing by helping us shoot a video. It’s my hope that through the great work of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, Max will be able to enjoy every day as a kid should. I want him to eat chocolate chip cookies and lick green lollipops and celebrate each day, whether he’s 7 or 39 and a half, like me!

To enter the Lexus Bold IS contest, record a 15-second Instagram video during or after your shave explaining what bold way you would spend $2,500 and submit your video to LexusBoldIS.com. Ten lucky winners will be announced on March 27. More information can be found here.

Not ready to part with your hair? You can still vote for your favorite videos on LexusBoldIS.com for a chance to win $1,000.

BE A SHAVEE       LEXUS BOLD IS

Read more stories on the St. Baldrick’s blog:

• Giving Thanks: Why This Year is Different
• Back to School: Kids with Cancer Have an Uphill Climb
• Chloe’s Story: Overcoming Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
• 36 Rabbis Fight Childhood Cancer in Honor of Superman Sam