A convoy of 50 Jeeps drove through treacherous conditions in the Annapolis Valley on Sunday to lift the spirits of a three-year-old boy battling rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of muscular cancer.

Jacob Stern underwent chemotherapy when he was 15 months old. But the cancer came back this past October.

"The first round was 48 weeks plus two months of radiation treatment, which we had to go down to southern Indiana for because they couldn't treat him safely enough in Canada because of his size," said Jacob's father Nick Stern.

He says Jacob loves trucks and Jeeps.

"Oh he's always been a big off-road fan. I usually take him out when he's well enough in my vehicle," Stern said.

The Jeeps, connected to the Pirate Off Road Nation, trekked through the snow to surprise the boy and raise money for his family's medical bills.

Family friend Rosie Urquhart shaved her head to show support

"Everybody who is here has given cards or money or whatever so it's all for a good cause," she said.

As the convoy pulled in one by one into the Horton High School parking lot, Jacob squealed in delight,

The biggest surprise came later when he got his very own toy Jeep, customized with his name on it.

"It's amazing, you know, I can't believe that a crowd of people like this would do something like this, just for one little boy," said Stern, his voice cracking with emotion.

Once Jacob was in the Jeep, there was no getting him out.

The fundraiser made more than $1,000 to help pay for Jacob's medical bills.