Cruisin’ for a Cure, a show that aims to prevent prostate cancer, goes off without a hitch

A procession of classic cars, trucks and vintage vehicles lined up Saturday morning at the Orange County fairgrounds for Cruisin’ for a Cure, an event intended to raise funds and awareness around prostate cancer prevention.

Returning from a pandemic interruption, the 21st annual event drew more than 3,000 vehicles to the Costa Mesa site for what’s billed as the “largest one-day car show on the West Coast.” But more than mere spectacle, Cruisin’ for a Cure offers free prostate cancer screenings to men over 40.

Cruisin’ for a Cure car show organizer Debbie Baker leads a procession of cars at the Orange County Fairgrounds on Saturday.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

Since the first show in 1991, more than 15,000 men have received free blood tests designed to measure levels of prostate-specific antigen, one marker of prostate health. From those participants, nearly 4,000 men were notified of abnormal PSA levels and advised to consult a physician.

Lake Forest resident and Cruisin’ for a Cure founder Debbie Baker led Saturday’s 1.5-mile parade around the fairgrounds seated atop a vintage fire engine. The appearance, however, was not her only duty that day.

Baker, whose hot rod-loving husband Jim died from prostate cancer in 1999, created the event to lower the bar for men who might not keep up with doctor appointments or volunteer for health screenings without a compelling incentive.

Car lovers drive along a 1.5-mile route through the Orange County fairgrounds Saturday during Cruisin’ for a Cure in Costa Mesa.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

Each year, she drives around the event in a golf cart, picking out men of a certain age and encouraging them to get screened for a form of cancer that is highly preventable, if caught early, but which kills an estimated one in 41 men, according to the American Cancer Society.

For her efforts, Baker has assumed a guardian angel status among men who may not otherwise have caught troublesome health indicators in their early stages. Each year, prostate cancer survivors convey their gratitude by posing with Baker for a group photo.

The show also raises funds for the KSK Cancer Center of Irvine.

Debbie Baker, organizer of Cruisin’ for a Cure, center, poses with grateful prostate cancer survivors at Saturday’s event.

(Stephen Russo)

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