Cars and bikes of all kinds came together for a Wheels for Wishes fundraiser Saturday, working to raise $50,000 for a St. John's teenager in need of a guide dog.

Brandon Joy, 18, was born with a rare condition called retinitis pigmentosa. Deemed legally blind by the time he started Grade 8, the condition has caused Joy to lose his night vision and the majority of his peripheral vision. He currently has seven per cent of his vision.

Joy is preparing to start university in the fall, studying education in the hopes of becoming a teacher. He says it would be life-changing if enough money is raised to help him get a guide dog.

"If I get a guide dog, it's going to make my life a lot easier," he said.

"My shins will be a lot safer," he adds, laughing. "I'll just be a lot safer in general."

The fundraising has been made possible by Wheels for Wishes, a group of motor enthusiasts and volunteers giving back to communities across the province through charity car shows and donations.

The group paired with the local chapter of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind about a year and a half ago to begin fundraising for 'Buddy Dogs' — dogs that are not quite fully-trained to be a guide dog, but help people transition to a guide dog later in life.

Amanda Halliday, coordinator of community giving with the CNIB, said the partnership has translated to helping people across the province gain freedom through being paired with a guide dog.

"The automobile community in Newfoundland and Labrador is very charitable," she said. "They're amazing people … they just want to help people."