Cruisin’ for a Cure brings classic cars, prostate cancer screening to O.C. fairgrounds
Cruisin’ for a Cure — a massive car show that entices male auto enthusiasts of a certain age to participate in potentially life-saving free prostate cancer screenings during their visit — returns to the O.C. fairgrounds on Saturday.
More than 2,000 custom-built vehicles, hot rods, exotic trucks and specialty vehicles will be on display at the 25th annual celebration, which kicks off Saturday at 6 a.m. and includes more than 100 vendors and exhibitors and live entertainment.
Held during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, this year’s event will feature a special curated collection of 62 hand-picked vehicles, some valued at more than $1 million, at the Hangar on the fairgrounds and a “Women & Wheels” exhibit showcasing 55 women-owned vehicles.
A 1.5-mile cruise through the fairgrounds takes place at 9 a.m. with Barry Meguiar, president of Irvine-based auto product retailer Meguiar’s, riding atop a firetruck as the grand marshal.
Leading the procession, perched atop a decorated golf cart will be the woman who is the brains behind Cruisin’ for a Cure and its vital mission — Debbie Baker.
The Lake Forest resident created the event after her husband, a regular car show attendee, passed away from prostate cancer, the second deadliest cancer for men after lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Center.
Baker figured a larger-than-life classic car show was just the thing to inspire men to overcome their fear of going to a urologist.
“Some of these guys are crazy, I don’t know what it is, they think it affects your sex life,” she said Wednesday of men’s reluctance to seek preventative treatment. “I tell them, it won’t change your life. We now test up to 1,500 men a day. We’ve got 40 phlebotomists, and they’re ready to go.”
Since its inception in 1999, Cruisin’ for a Cure has provided thousands of free on-site blood tests designed to detect prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels that can indicate the presence of prostate cancer. Free digital rectal exams are also provided for those willing to undergo a more thorough screening.
Testing runs Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Men typically receive their results, sent via KSK Cancer Center of Irvine, within two weeks and are notified if elevated PSA levels were discovered. If so, they are referred to follow-up testing and treatment.
Any attendees feeling a bit sheepish about being tested are likely to have a personal encounter with Baker, who rides around on her golf cart in search of new recruits.
“I always say, let me see your arm, and if they don’t have a cotton ball, I put them on the cart and take them in,” she said.
With Baker’s friendly insistence, more than 16,000 individuals have been tested at Cruisin’ for a Cure, with around 5,200 learning through tests their PSA levels were high.
“Every year, I get letters from wives who say thank you for doing this because you saved my husband’s life. Or guys will come up to my golf cart and say, thank you for saving my dad or my brother,” she said. “That is my reward, people saying thank you.”
Crusin’ for a Cure takes place Saturday, from 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Orange County fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. Admission is $20 for adults and free for kids 12 and under. Animals are not allowed at the site. For more, visit cruisinforacure.com.
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