Amusement by David Sutta

Recently I had the amazing opportunity to see Joshua Dawson in action.

If the picture has you doing a double take you are not alone.  I spent the day with him and couldn’t get over his “Genie” getup.  Dawson’s story is quite amazing.  He founded an organization called The Experience Genie (now The Dream Genie).   Inspired by his father who died of cancer he goes around the country giving cancer survivors amazing one day experiences. From jumping out of planes to luxurious stays at the spa to on this day car racing!

Recently Joshua expanded and rebranded his mission to include everyday good people who are doing great things.  I caught up with him Coconut Grove as he surprised Roy Foster, a local veteran, with a dream day.

Eleven years ago Foster created the Stand Down House.  It’s best described as a halfway house to help veterans coming back from war.  Roy bridges the gap between the services already in existence and the veterans who fall through the cracks.  Joshua rewarded Roy for his good deeds whipping him around town for shopping sprees and racing around the Homestead Miami Speedway.

The entire day was captured not only by CBS4 but by local producer/director Kevin Layne.

Layne and his wife were shooting the day as a pilot for a potential series on the Dream Genie.  Think of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, minus the house and Ty Pennington is a blue man.

Layne has come across a gem if you ask me.  Who wouldn’t want to watch stories about someone going around the country rewarding people for their unselfish good deeds?  As soon as the pilot’s done I expect to hear someone has picked it up.  As the couple explained to me, they were looking for reality television they could really be proud of.  They didn’t want to get involved with something trashy.  I think they have found it.

Moments before Roy arrives and the capture the big surprise.

Here is a shot of Layne getting ready to round the Homestead Miami Speedway in a trunk to get a head on shot of Roy and the Genie racing.

I’m all about getting the shot but I’m not sure I’d hang out of trunk… at a racetrack!  Kudos to you Kevin.

As production moves forward the dream days are only going to get better.  What company would not want to be featured in feel good reality TV show?  I wish the Dream Genie and the Layne family much luck on their journey.

CBS4 Photographer Waverly Allen working on our story in the speedway garage.

See more here: www.cbsmiami.com

See the Dream Genie here: http://www.experiencegenie.com/

See more of David Sutta’s blog here by clicking the picture below!