Pri and Roberto Armstead walked into our Indianapolis office believing they still had one more interview.
They thought the Samantha’s House board needed a second conversation before deciding who would receive this year’s accessible vehicle. They came with their sons, Avian and Avi, prepared to take that next step.
Meanwhile, the rest of us were trying to keep a very big secret.
The board had already chosen the Armstead family. A white Chevrolet Traverse, fully equipped for accessible transportation and finished with a large red bow, was waiting nearby.
There was no second interview. There was simply a family we couldn’t wait to surprise.
Everyone Wanted to Be There
For this year’s annual Samantha’s House and Keller Cares giveaway, we invited our entire Keller & Keller Injury Lawyers headquarters team to join the celebration.
So much of the preparation had happened before the Armsteads arrived: the board’s decision, the arrangements for the vehicle, and the plan to bring everyone outside without giving anything away. Now we wanted the people who helped make the day happen to share in the moment.
Samantha’s House board members gathered with our employees. CBS4 and Indy Now joined us to capture the surprise and help share the story.
A taco truck gave everyone a reason to head outside. As far as the Armsteads knew, it was part of their visit.
Nearby, the Traverse was ready.
The Moment They Understood
When the family came outside, the Traverse pulled up to greet them.
“Surprise!”
Confetti poppers went off. For a moment, the Armsteads were trying to understand what everyone around them already knew.
Then James Keller, a partner at Keller & Keller Injury Lawyers and a Samantha’s House board member, explained: the board had already selected their family. There was no need for another interview. We had invited them back because we wanted to make giving them the vehicle as special as we could.
The surprise became real.
There was shock, happiness, and the emotion of suddenly realizing that something their family had hoped for was now sitting right in front of them.
Watching that realization was the part none of us could have planned. We could arrange the vehicle, gather our team, and keep the secret. But we couldn’t prepare ourselves for how it would feel to see Pri and Roberto take it all in.
There were tears throughout the crowd. People who had stepped outside as coworkers were standing together, sharing a moment we’ll remember for a long time.
What Happens After the Bow Comes Off
Pri and Roberto are raising Avian and Avi, both of whom are nonverbal. Avi also has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair.
Getting a family where it needs to go takes planning. When a child uses a wheelchair, the right vehicle becomes an important part of that planning—how everyone travels, what they can bring, and how comfortably they can make the trip together.
For the Armsteads, this accessible Traverse will become part of those everyday decisions.
There will be appointments and errands. There will be places the family needs to go and places they simply want to go. Our hope is that having a vehicle equipped for their needs makes those trips a little easier.
We know a vehicle cannot take every responsibility off Pri and Roberto’s shoulders. But it can help with something they will use again and again. It can give this loving family a little more ease as they care for their boys and make plans together.
That was what made handing over the keys so meaningful.
We were celebrating the surprise, certainly. We were also thinking about the ordinary days ahead, when the confetti is gone and the Armsteads are getting ready to leave home together.
Samantha’s House Made This Day Possible
The work behind a day like this begins long before a family arrives to receive a vehicle.
It happens through Samantha’s House, through its board and supporters, and through the people who give their time and resources because they want to help a family in a practical, lasting way.
The Samantha’s House golf outing is part of what makes this annual giveaway possible. Every person who participates, sponsors, volunteers, or contributes helps move that work forward.
At the outing, that support may look like a registration, a sponsorship, or a day spent helping. At our office, we got to see what it meant for Pri, Roberto, Avian, and Avi.
We wish everyone who supported Samantha’s House could have stood with us when the Traverse arrived.
James Keller’s service on the Samantha’s House board makes this partnership especially close to our hearts. Through Keller Cares, our team at Keller & Keller Injury Lawyers is grateful to help carry that work into a day the family—and our employees—can share.
To the Samantha’s House board, thank you for the thought and care you put into this year’s giveaway. To the golf outing’s supporters, thank you for helping make the vehicle possible. To our Keller & Keller team, thank you for bringing so much warmth to the celebration.
And to CBS4 and Indy Now, thank you for being there to help tell the story.
To the Armstead Family
Pri and Roberto, thank you for coming back for that second interview—and for letting us turn it into something very different.
Thank you for sharing this day with us, and for letting our team meet Avian and Avi. The love you bring to your family was felt by everyone who had the chance to spend time with you.
We hope the Traverse serves you well through busy mornings, necessary appointments, and outings you look forward to. We hope it brings some relief to the planning and gives you more chances to enjoy being out together.
Everyone at Samantha’s House and Keller & Keller Injury Lawyers was honored to celebrate with you.
The best part of the day was knowing you would be taking the keys home.
