History of the Celebration Exotic Car Festival in Florida

Our Inspiration

Laura Ippoliti was a Ferrari and F1 enthusiast, and actively involved in the Ferrari Club of America Empire State Region. Laura was one of the most kind and compassionate people in the world, and had unconditional love for children. Everyone that had the fortune to meet Laura will always remember her smile, her ability to make each person feel special, and her incredible sense of humor. Tragically, Laura lost her life in an accident in January, 2001 at only 32 years old.

Determined to somehow bring something positive from this heartbreaking story, Jeff and Jim Ippoliti decided to perpetuate Laura’s love of children and compassion for others. Bringing Laura’s altruism together with their background in exotic cars, the Celebration Exotic Car Festival children’s charity event was born, with the mission to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses through Make-A-Wish.

Wishes are more than just a nice thing, and are far more than gifts, experiences, or singular events in time. For wish kids, just the act of making their wish come true can give them the courage to face their medical treatments, and hope for the future. A wish can be a game-changer for a child with a critical illness.

The Event

The Celebration Exotic Car Festival was founded in 2004, and is a national partner of Make-A-Wish. The event is organized by a dedicated team of volunteers. We have never had a paid staff member, so 100% of the net proceeds are donated after each event. Since its inception, the Celebration Exotic Car Festival has donated over $8 million to Make-a-Wish and other children’s charities – including $1 million to Make-A-Wish in 2026 alone. Over the years, the festival has grown to become one of the largest exotic car events in the world, attracting more than 300 of world’s rarest exotic cars, race cars, and Hollywood movie cars, and more than 40,000 spectators.

CECF Wish Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity foundation, and a national partner of Make-A-Wish

Our Charities

Coverage of Our Event

Donovan McNabb Surprises Make-A-Wish Kid After 17 Years, 'No Way, Bro!'

“Ex-NFL superstar Donovan McNabb made one super fan’s dream come true AGAIN over the weekend … when the Eagles legend surprised a Make-A-Wish alum with a truly special reunion 17 years after their first meeting — and the video is incredible.”

TMLTV Presents: The Celebration Exotic Car Festival

“Enjoy our team coverage in this special episode of The Celebration Exotic Car Festival in Celebration, Orlando Florida, with a star-studded gala event that follows. Special Thanks to Make A Wish America and festival founders Jeff and Jim Ippoliti.”

Taking the Wheel for Charity - Inside the Celebration Exotic Car Festival

“The Celebration Exotic Car Festival is one of the premiere fundraisers in America today. Founded in 2004 by a dedicated team of volunteers who make it so that all net proceeds are donated, the grand event since its inception has granted over $4 million to children’s charities including Make-a-Wish, Special Olympics, Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital and the Moffitt Cancer Center.”

About the Celebration Exotic Car Festival