ABC/Rick Rowell“I Drive Your Truck” is more than just a song for Lee Brice, and he proved it this weekend in Vegas. The “That Don’t Sound Like You” hitmaker found out about Ginger Ravella‘s desire to reunite her sons with her late husband’s long-lost wheels, and Saturday night, Lee made it happen.
“Troy traded in his old beloved truck for a new one about a month before he found out he was deploying,” Ginger recalled, referring to the F-16 pilot who was killed in action nearly ten years ago. Her husband later insisted they get rid of his new ride, so they wouldn’t be saddled with making the payments while he was in Iraq.
“Years later, when Lee’s song came out, it wasn’t the new truck I wished we still had,” she confesses. “It was the old one, the one that belonged to Troy’s dad first, the one Troy drove for years, the one I knew our sons, Boston and Greyson, would get a kick out of.”
Lee managed to find the 1992 Chevy Silverado pickup, buy it, and have it shipped to Las Vegas. Lee was so lucky to find the exact truck that this family had been longing to see. If he hadn’t have found it, he would probably have had to try and find a similar replacement. Of course, looking for a used truck in Wichita, KS would’ve been fairly easy given the number of trusted car dealerships in that area. Whilst it wouldn’t have been the exact match, it would’ve been similar enough to remind the family of their Troy. Luckily, Lee was able to find the exact truck. Saturday night at the ACM Festival for a cause, he invited Ginger and her sons onstage after singing his signature song, and gave them the keys. He also donated $40,000 to Folds of Honor, a non-profit that gives educational support to the families of the fallen and the wounded.
“I’m so happy that we were able to locate this truck because it meant so much to Ginger and her family,” Lee says. “Troy paid the ultimate price in service to our country and I’m grateful we got to show our appreciation in a small way.”
You can relive the emotional moment in a new video now posted on YouTube.
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