I’ll always remember this van as an unexpected purchase.
We are excitedly donating our 2004 Toyota Sienna to NPR! Here are our memories and impressions of our life with this car.
Theresa: This van has been a significant object in our family life, it was there as our family was starting to grow. We went from one child to two so just as our family grew, so, too our family transportation had to expand! This is the car our youngest son (pictured) and his brother grew up with - we took this van everywhere. They enjoyed watching DVD’s in the back... We loved all the road trips we took in this van, using mad Libs, singing songs, and listening to music - our van was just great times all around. We are donating it to NPR because we want to support public radio. We want to support good and fair reporting and getting the truth out there.
I love Science Friday and Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me and all the great news reporting and in-depth stories... and my son said he likes Katherine Brand on WUNC, as he so often heard her reports when I picked him up from school. We also like One-A with Joshua Johnson. We have really realized how much we missed all of these shows because we would listen to them in the car but during the pandemic, we’ve been staying home.
15-year-old: The van means so much to me, as I grew up with this car. I so remember road trips and playing the Nintendo DS in the back seat. And then my brother and I would watch movies like, Milo and Otis and Monster’s Inc. I also remember going to my basketball games, headphones in, listening to music and preparing to play, while in the van, this is pretty nostalgic. Additionally, I remember the two-hour ride home from my grandparents’ house on Thanksgiving holiday and eating leftover apple pie. It was delicious! Finally, the road trips in the van were always memorable, such as Florida and New York. My brother and I would play DS in the back seats, always laughing and having fun.
21-year-old presently away at college: First, I always remember when the family would go to my basketball games. It was so much fun seeing them cheering me on and we always had such great conversations after. Dad was trying to make me better and Mom was offering that supporting role. I can specifically remember as a family all the times we traveled from North Carolina to my Grandmas house in Florida in the van. My brother and I would always be cracking jokes in the back and laughing while my parents drove. I enjoyed these times because we were all together and everybody was getting along.
When I got my driver’s license the van was the first car that I drove on my own. I didn’t really care it was a van I was just glad it went from point A to point B. I had a lot of memories with my friends in that car and it was honestly some of the most fun times I’ve ever had. So, to me the van was more than just a car it was a place where I could have meaningful conversations with my family and a place where I could be social and connect more with my friends.
Randy: I’ll always remember this van as an unexpected purchase. My wife and I were looking for a replacement for our Honda Accord sedan, because our family was now four. As we arrived at the car dealership, I remember feeling I was too cool for a minivan and had my sights on a stylish-sporty SUV. Every SUV we sat in, either I found it not cool enough, or my wife could not see the utility in it. The longer the day, the more I realized WE HAD BECOME A MINIVAN FAMILY! The Minivan signified, the end of the young cool couple and the beginning of the maturing family ;-)
I’ll never forget the long road trips, the laughter and bonding as we went up and down the East coast- From North Carolina, to New York and then as far south as Orlando, FL. Then there were all the youth sporting events, and pulling up to the field amongst all the other cool dad’s and their minivans. And then too, my wife would always remind me of our Minivan decision whenever we made a trip to the local hardware or landscaping store and we had room to load the car up! We are excited to be donating this car to NPR, as we are fans of the informative and enlightening programming. It is our sincere hope, that this van ends up with a family like ours and creates similar memories!
Randy and Theresa donated a 2004 Toyota Sienna to WUNC through the Car Talk Vehicle Donation Program.
Thank you, Randy and Theresa!