The fourteenth annual Cruisin’ for a Cure (CFAC) is the largest one-day charity car event in the nation, attracting more than 3,500 custom cars and trucks. Founder Debbie Baker started the event when her husband Jim was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998. The inaugural Cruisin’ for a Cure was held at the Verizon Amphitheater in Irvine, California, in 2000. Once the show outgrew the amphitheater it was moved to the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California. Sadly, Jim passed away in March 2009 but his legacy of helping others lives on in CFAC.

For the 2013 CFAC, Debbie and Ross Kroenert, along with their dedicated team of more than 100 volunteers and organizers, promoted and ran the show flawlessly. Once again, CFAC was held at the spectacular and spacious Orange County Fairgrounds and drew more than 3,500 custom vehicles, 25,000 spectators and 253 vendors who displayed their latest cool go-fast gear. All four exhibit halls and the Mequiar’s Hangar were filled with incredible cars and trucks, and one hall was dedicated to vehicles that were for sale.

The day’s festivities started off with Casey Simpson singing the national anthem and God Bless America followed by the invocation by Dave McClelland. The official opening with the fire truck cruise featured restored vintage fire trucks as they took part in a lap around the 1.3-mile cruise route. Throughout the day The Answer played ’60s and ’70s rock and roll on the main stage, and Casey Simpson also performed. Inside the Costa Mesa exhibitor building Scale Masters held a model car contest where entrants displayed their incredible miniature-building skills for everyone to admire. Later in the afternoon the traditional cancer survivors’ photo was taken on the main stage. The show closed with the awards ceremony and a drawing for the donated set of Budnik Wheels and Guaranty Chevrolet Complete GM 350-ci engine.

The show offers free prostate cancer screening, and at the 2013 event 985 men were tested. Many received an early warning and will hopefully nip any problems in the bud.

A special thanks goes out to Debbie Baker, Ross Kroenert, his wife Jody, son John and the more than 100 volunteers for another great Cruisin’ for a Cure event.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for this year’s fifteenth annual event on Sept. 27.

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