The tenth-annual Cruisin’ for a Cure.
The tenth-annual
Cruisin’ for a Cure took place this past weekend at the Orange County Fairgrounds. This “show and drive” is a very important one to keep checked on your automotive event calendar. It is a showcase for hot rods, muscle cars, custom classics, rat rods, modern muscle, exotics and anything else under the sun to show up and show off. Much more importantly however, it is a chance to create an increased level of awareness about a terrible disease affecting 1 in 6 men - prostate cancer.
The founder of this event is a charming and convivial woman named Debbie Baker. Debbie grew up in the San Fernando Valley area and instantly became a car fanatic. She was fortunate enough to fall in love with and eventually marry another gear head, a man named Jim. Thirteen years ago Jim was diagnosed with prostate cancer and was told he wouldn’t live 10 more years. Jim and Debbie are tough folks and together they beat the odds for a long time, until Jim finally succumbed to the disease this year. Debbie is a brave and wonderful woman who is carrying on the Cruisin’ for a Cure tradition that she started 10 years ago. Due to Debbie’s tireless efforts in organizing this event, over 5,000 men have been tested throughout the years and many more will be tested in the years to come.
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and every year 232,090 men are diagnosed with it. However, if it is detected early it is quite treatable. Rare in men 45 and younger, the risk of prostate cancer rises quickly as one ages. The main idea behind this wonderful auto show is to create an arena for the target audience of this disease to come together. It gives them a chance to show off the things they love while at the same time gaining awareness and knowledge about prostate cancer so the people who love them get to spend more time with their brothers, sons, husbands, fathers, uncles, and grandfathers.
Cruisin’ for a Cure is the largest one-day charity car show with proceeds going directly to the
City of Hope cancer institute. Over 3,400 vehicles and 200 vendors converge on the OC Fairgrounds to showcase their projects, parts, beaters, and show cars. The venue features a one and a half mile route through the fairgrounds that car owners cruise around as spectators, young and old, gawk at the display. Anything and everything will be driven along this section; from a classic Hemi rumbling by to a brand-new Lamborghini Murcielago clearing its beautiful throat. In addition to the cars driving by, there are many more that have come to be displayed on the grass including Bigfoot and a classic dragster.
A classic dragster looking evil while just standing still.
There is one vehicle at the center of all the action that is easily the most important. At Cruisin’ for a Cure, attendees have the chance to get a free prostate screening on site in the
Drive Against Prostate Cancer RV. It is a simple blood test and there is an optional physical exam as well. The entire process takes less than 20 minutes. Once you are done, you can expect to receive your results via the mail in four to six weeks.
The most important vehicle at the event is this RV which provides the free screening service.
NADAguides.com is proud to be a major sponsor of this event and we have done so for the last ten years. We have a booth along the route that allows us a chance to interact with the attendees and to hand out free copies of our
printed pricing guides (not to mention a great vantage point to watch all the excellent iron that rumbles past).
Next year Cruisin’ for a Cure enters its 11th year and we will be alongside the route to hand out pricing guides, talk classic cars and trucks with the passers-by, and gawk at some amazing machines. More importantly however, we will be there to help support an amazing cause and continue to spread awareness about prostate cancer.
The NADAguides.com booth - we gave away hundreds of free pricing guides, talked all things automotive with attendees and had a great view of the magnificent vehicles roaring by.