MICHAEL ECKERSON December 29, 2022 All Feature Vehicles
In this issue, we preview one of the most important, and exciting charitable automotive events. Be sure to mark September 22 on your calendar.
Cruisin’™ For A Cure is the largest single-day charity car show in the country. This year the event celebrates its 20th year. The annual show will be held at the Orange County Fairgrounds and Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA. on September 22 (Always the 4th Sat. of September)
The primary mission of this event is to fund prostate cancer research and provide free prostate cancer screenings
The event is held every year in September, “National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month”. The primary mission of this event is to fund prostate cancer research and provide free prostate cancer screenings.
In addition to the primary significance of providing free testing for prostate cancer, the event is an absolute blast.
Drive spoke with Debbie Baker, creator and big-hearted organizer of this remarkable event.
Debbie: We have added a special feature in our Vendor Building, called the Costa Mesa Building, 30 All-Women’s cars. The women are so excited to have the cars they own and work on in a special place for everyone to see. There are approximately 50 vendors inside, including two sponsors; Lucas Oil and Interstate Batteries, who have been with us since our inception 20 years ago, and continue to join us each year going forward.
We have a model car contest that Mark Jones of Scale-Master has done for us since our beginning, and expects to have 150+ model cars on display. Winners are announced at noon in the same building.
Rick Abate has some never seen cars coming in from all over the US: a total of 63 cars for the Hangar. John D’Agostino is our Grand Marshal. As you know, John has been an icon for several decades, and an international celebrity. The Copper Caddy is one of the featured cars, Rick Dore will be in the hangar with his beautiful custom creations. Our feature builder is Brian Burton of Burton Classics. Plus we have the Promenade building which is filled with 65 prior year Hangar featured cars, and the Huntington Building and the Los Alamitos buildings filled with cars and displays.
We also have the Santa Ana Pavilion breezeway filled with 60 cars from Surf City Classics Car club, and many other clubs parked throughout the fairgrounds as well, in addition to all those that have pre-registered and the day of registrations. We have our meet and greet in the Hangar from 11-1:00 with John D’Agostino, Chip Foose, Larry Wood, Carson Lev, both Hot Wheels designers, Barry Meguiar, Esky, and many more surprises.
The Answer to Classic Rock and Roll will be playing music on the main stage and 2 other bands located outside as well as CARS for Sale in the Pac Amp area where you walk in the main gate to the show with approximately 65 vehicles, of all years, for sale.
We also have a Hot Wheels spin-and-win a Hot Wheels Car located in the Main Mall section where we have many sponsors and vendors and cars to see as well.
The most important thing is, of course, because of our free prostate cancer screenings, it’s a “save your life” car event.
Last year 906 men were tested (the most amount of men tested in one day (10 hours), anywhere in the world. And we ARE making a difference, because out of the 906 men tested last year, 223 where told to seek additional medical attention.
… out of the 906 men tested last year, 223 where told to seek additional medical attention.
ANY man that is over 40 and is tested at the show with an elevated PSA over 2.0 gets a personal call from the KSK Cancer of Irvine doctors to let them know. Most men have insurance and a doctor, but can always go to the KSK Cancer Center and have a consultation with the doctors there as well. To date, we have heard back from 52 men that did have prostate cancer, had no idea, but because of the free screening at Cruisin’ For A Cure, they all had successful surgeries and are very grateful to us. Well, that will be another 52 blue survivor shirts you will see our men wearing.
Check out the website at cruisinforacure.com and join us September 28.
For sure, Debbie. We’ll be there!