COSTA MESA, Calif. – Car enthusiasts call a 1960 Cadillac Coupe Deville the “Copper Caddy.”
Jerry Logan invested 14 painstaking months and hundreds of thousands of dollars into it.
Like most guys, he loves his car, but he is at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa all the way from Portland, Oregon to do what most people hate doing, see a doctor.
He brought his million dollar prize 1,000 miles to participate in “Cruisin’ For A Cure” - a classic Orange County car show where guys bring out their toys and can get their blood taken to screen for prostate cancer.
“Guys, cars and prostate. Come on, it’s got to be all in the same thing,” says Logan.
Logan lost his dad to prostate cancer at just 62 -years old and says the event gives men no excuse to not get checked for a disease that kills 30,000 U.S. men every year.
“That speaks for itself. This is something that needs to be addressed in the male population,” says Logan.
The show started with 600 cars and has since grown to over 3,000. It is all thanks to Debbie Baker who started “Cruisin’ For A Cure” in 1999 after losing her husband and several co-workers to the disease. On show day, she is the “Queen of Bling,” whipping around in her own tricked out ride.
“They’re going to come in, fill out a few pieces of paper, they’re going to walk over to the phlebotomist here and get their blood drawn. They’re going to get a little Band-Aid, and that’s it. And I’m driving around all day looking for that,” says Baker.
Since the show started 10,000 have been screened for prostate cancer and today guys like Carson Lev wear these “Survivor” shirts. He is one of over 3,000 guys who, thanks to Baker, have caught the disease and successfully been treated for it.
“My exit interview, the doctor asked my conditions, why I went there, what brought it on. I told him why Debbie and what she does for the prostate cancer awareness and Cruisin’ For A Cure and he used the word - he said, ‘That lady is your guardian angel,’” says Lev.
And whether it’s a ‘65 fastback or the “Copper Caddy” itself, everyone strives to be one of the exclusive 58 cars to make it to center stage here in the hangar. But no matter how much time or money go into all of these hot rods, but without health none of it would be worth a dime.
“There’s no excuses. They’re right here, they can do it. Ten minutes and we can save their life, or somebody else’s,” says Baker.