Hot rods, choppers and vintage muscle cars will roll onto the tarmac at Cable Airport in Upland on October 10, when the annual Garage Rods for a Cure car and motorcycle show returns to raise money for the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer program. The free-to-attend event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1749 W. 13th St., pairing live bands, barbecue and beer with a raffle for a 2026 Chevrolet Trax LS.
The show is presented by Riverside Chevrolet and is held in memory of Holly Bozarth and Laura Sanders, according to the event flyer, as reported by the Daily Bulletin. Vehicle entry costs $40 for cars and $30 for motorcycles, with organizers welcoming everything from hot rods, muscle cars and classics to choppers, baggers and stock originals. Spectator admission remains free.
Lead organizer Jimmie Herrick is both a breast cancer survivor and a vice president at Stewart Title who has spent nearly a decade volunteering in leadership roles for the Making Strides movement, according to background compiled by the Los Angeles Business Journal. Herrick is handling inquiries about sponsorships, vendor space and raffle tickets, and can be reached directly at 909-544-9407 for vehicle entries, per the Daily Bulletin's report.
A Growing Local Fundraiser
Last year's show raised $24,000 for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, up from nearly $14,000 raised in 2024. Herrick said in an email that this year's event could turn out to be the largest fundraiser yet. The show's sponsor list has grown alongside it, including Pull Up A Chair Event Rentals, Cable Airport, Barry and Barry Attorneys at Law, Royal Flush, Ticor Title, San Antonio Regional Hospital, Talking Angels and Pro-Five Brewing Co., in addition to Herrick himself.
Cable Airport itself carries some history worth noting. Founded in 1945 by Dewey and Maude Cable, who purchased the original 80-acre plot for $8,500, the airport is recognized today as the world's largest family-owned public-use airport, according to San Bernardino County. The property has stayed in the Cable family for generations and now spans 105 acres with a 3,864-foot asphalt runway and more than 450 based aircraft, giving the car show a spacious, distinctive backdrop.
Why the Inland Empire Fight Matters
The stakes behind the fundraiser are significant for the region. San Bernardino and Riverside counties have recorded some of the highest breast cancer fatality rates in Southern California, with public health experts pointing to socioeconomic hurdles that delay early mammogram screenings, according to a report from CBS Los Angeles. Late-stage diagnoses occur more often among economically disadvantaged and uninsured populations, the outlet's reporting noted.
Nationally, the numbers remain daunting even as treatment improves. The American Cancer Society estimates that roughly 321,910 U.S. women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2026, along with 60,730 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ, resulting in an estimated 42,140 deaths. Breast cancer remains the second-leading cause of cancer death among American women, and diagnoses among women under 50 have been climbing faster than the overall population, rising about 1.4% annually compared with roughly 1% overall.
Yet the same data shows real progress. U.S. breast cancer mortality has dropped 44% between 1989 and 2023, a decline driven largely by earlier mammography screening and advances in targeted therapies, with early-stage localized breast cancer now carrying a five-year survival rate exceeding 99%. The nationwide population of breast cancer survivors is projected to grow from about 4.3 million in 2025 to 5.3 million by January 2035, the largest projected growth among major cancer types, with roughly four out of five survivors now aged 60 or older.
A Movement Dating Back Four Decades
Making Strides traces its roots to 1984, when Massachusetts survivor Margery Gould Rath launched a local move-along-a-thon that eventually became the national campaign, officially adopting its current name in 1993. The movement has since involved 15 million participants and raised nearly $1 billion nationwide for breast cancer research and patient services. Other regional Making Strides events have drawn attention this year as well, including a walk that recently returned to Sandy, Utah and another that shifted to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Proceeds from Making Strides events help fund the American Cancer Society's 24/7 helpline and online guidance platform, which fields more than 250,000 inquiries annually and offers free assistance with treatment navigation, temporary lodging and transportation. The organization also runs Reach to Recovery, pairing newly diagnosed patients with survivor volunteers. Anyone seeking information about programs and services can reach the American Cancer Society at cancer.org or 800-227-2345.
