As folks gear up for the Detroit Auto Show in the Motor City, the event is also hitting the road one week early.

The Auto Show is making a pit stop at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor to bring all the excitement to children undergoing treatment for serious illnesses.

The Detroit Auto Show will host its Charity Preview on Jan. 16, which has raised more than $125 million for children's charities since it started a half-century ago. 

One of its longtime beneficiaries is C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, and for the first time, they're taking the show on the road for these kids they support so much.

"We have some very important special guests that are joining us today to help us kick this party off," said C.S. Mott Children's Hospital President Luanne Thomas Ewald.

And boy did they arrive in style in the driver's seat of some new Power Wheels that make what could be a scary time in their lives a little bit easier.

"I know a lot about cars; there's a lot to explain about them. I could fully explain it later on, but for now, I kind of want to explore this place," said one of these kids named Hassan.

While Hassan and his friends kicked the tires on their new rides, organizers told us why they wanted to bring the auto show to them.

"Cars are cool. They feel good about themselves. They'll feel cool, and again, for kids going through what these kids are going through, to have a moment of feeling special, that's what makes this moment really special," said Detroit Auto Show director Sam Klemet.

And for these kids, these are way more than just cars; they're also a sense of control.

"We know our kids don't have a lot of control when they're in the hospital, but maybe we can give them a little control back and let them drive themselves to surgery, let them drive themselves to the lobby on their way out of the hospital," said Thomas Ewald.

And one day, give them a chance to see these same makes and models at the Detroit Auto Show in person.

For the first year, Charity Preview Junior is kicking off the Detroit Auto Show festivities, but it's the Charity Preview gala the following Friday that makes so much of this possible for these kids in the first place.