Automobile lovers were out in full force at the eighth annual Long Island Cruizin’ For a Cure car show this past Sunday. Over 600 cars, trucks, and motorcycles were on display at the exhibition which was held at the Sears parking lot in HIcksville.
The show is the only one of its kind dedicated to raising funds for awareness, testing and research pertaining to prostate cancer. Winthrop University Hospital provided men with free Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) screening blood tests, to help detect and prevent this affliction. The test measures the level of PSA in the blood. A high level indicates that the patient is more likely to develop prostate cancer. In the past, this show has diagnosed over fifty men with high PSA levels, which led these men to seek out medical care that potentially saved their lives.
The sun was shining brightly as the sounds of classic all American music and the aroma of burgers were in the air. Bill from Hempstead was standing in line at the PSA testing booth and said “the show is a magnificent spectacle. I grew up in the 60’s during the golden age for cars and music. I myself used to own a 1957 Chevy. Even though I have a urologist I still come here every year.”
Dr. Louis Faiella and Dr. David Gershbaum from Winthrop University Hospital were both on hand to show off the hospitals minimally invasive da Vinci Surgical System. It essentially provides robotic assistance for laparoscopic surgery in a new and modern technique that makes small incisions as opposed to larger ones.
“It’s a very intuitive machine,” Gershbaum said. “It allows us to perform more precise and articulated movements.”
Cruzin’ For A Cure founder, Sandy Kane, is a prostate cancer survivor. He presented a $20,000 check to Cold Spring Harbor Labs to continue researching ways to defeat this terrible disease.
“This is the biggest year we ever had. The turnout is great. ” Kane said. “It couldn’t be done without the help of all the wonderful people who really put time and effort to make this show what it is. My message to men is to go get tested. It is very important for your health.”
The main attraction of the event were the rows and rows of beautiful cars all over the pakring lot. A sleek and shiny sky blue 1958 Chevy Impala and eye catching red Ford Fairlane 500 were just some of the hundreds of cars on display.
Father and son Steve and Ricky from Massapequa brought their 1955 Buick Special that they had up for sale. Ricky, a mechanic, restored the car himself in about four years.
“The fun for me is putting these cars back together, selling them, and then moving on to the next car,” Ricky said. “I really like the event because my grandfather had prostate cancer and he beat it. The screening and car show is a really great combination.”
One of the most popular attractions at the show was the 1909 Alco-6 Racer. The powerful vintage warrior which is better known by its nickname, The Black Beast, was built by the American Locomotive company in Providence, Rhode Island. Hemmings Classic Car magazine considers it to be one of the top 100 collector cars of all time. A piece of American history, the car’s original cost was $6,000 and it was able to reach speeds of 121 mph.
Other cancer survivors wore blue shirts and walked around the lot answering questions and concerns that anyone had. Vincent Buccilli from East Meadow has been a prostate cancer survivor for over two years.
“This is my third year here, and I believe that Sandy is doing a wonderful job,” Buccilli said. “This is a really important event and men need to get tested. It certainly doesn’t hurt.”
