Buckled up in their carseats, two 3-year-old twin brothers counted down to acceleration inside a Tesla Model S.

Benjamin starts the countdown from five and his brother Zevi repeats after him.

As soon as Benjamin says "Go!" driver Eric Peterson slams on the accelerator and they're off, speeding up to 110 miles per hour on the Portland International Raceway.

One trip around the track and the boys are ready for a second lap.

"What my wife, my family and our friends are trying to do with Dream Drives for Kids is create that kind of joy," said Peterson.

Peterson owns exotic cars and after speaking with a friend who is an employee at Doernbecher's Children Hospital, he came up with the idea for this organization, giving sick children access to Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches.

"To get out of the hospitals, get away from medicines, get off of chemotherapy and just come and smile and laugh and all the things that these cars enable us to do."

Zevi Kaplan is one of those children who could benefit from a spin around the speedway.

Last year Zevi, a leukemia patient, received a bone marrow transplant. His father, Daniel Kaplan, says Zevi had to take chemotherapy for seven days and spend seven weeks in the hospital. When he was released, he was still isolated from a lot of activities a normal 3-year-old would participate in.

Zevi Kaplan, 3, stands next to a Tesla Model S for a photo before taking a trip around the track with Dream Drives for Kids.

"One of the first things we got to do out of the hospital was one Sunday we met Eric and Amity and they took us on a wonderful ride and that was the first time I saw Zev truly smile in about two months," said Kaplan.

The experience was part of an individual ride given by the Petersons and Dream Drives for Kids. Monday was the organization's first event. Through a partnership with Tesla Motors, the California-based electric car company hosted a day on the Portland International Raceway bringing along a fleet of Tesla Model S sedans for nearly 25 area patients.

This is just the beginning for Dream Drives for Kids. It's expanding with a new "Sit and Snap" Program, connecting with exotic car owners from across the country to provide this opportunity to more children in need of some accelerated healing.

Watch the video above to see the kids' reactions as they propel onto the speedway.

-- Jessica Greif

503-221-4313