On the crisp yet sunny morning of April 21, the Center of Hospice Care (CHC) held the spring 2024 installment of the Coffee Cruise-In for a Cause event at their Mishawaka campus. Car owners came from all around the surrounding area to show off their stylish rides at this car show-style fundraiser. All of the motorcycles, trucks, and cars present were entered into a contest to determine whose vehicle was the coolest of the cool. Rapha Roast Small Batch Coffee Co. supplied the attendees with plenty of hot coffee and TNT Entertainment set the mood with a selection of classic tunes.
This latest Coffee Cruise-In for a Cause event attracted the largest number of attendees to date. Over 48 vehicles were brought to the CHC parking lot to participate in the contest. Several judges were selected to choose the winners of the Best Motorcycle, Best Car, and Best Truck awards based on a set of criteria. This year’s event featured a wide selection of vehicles, some dating from the 1930s and others as recently as the 2020s.
Attendees could pay a dollar per vote to show their support for the vehicle they thought was the coolest. The vehicle that won the public vote would receive the Best of Show award. Owners paid a minimum donation of $10 to have their vehicles displayed. John Mastrojohn, the president and CEO of CHC, provided some insight into how the proceeds of the day's event would benefit the organization.
“Center for Hospice Care is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization,” Mastrojohn explained. “We provide our patients with many different services that are not covered by insurance or Medicare. Coffee Cruise-In for a Cause and the other special events we host help us continue to provide patients with the services that they need. We always love to see people support the Center for Hospice Care in whatever way they choose to do so.”
Army Sergeant Philip Long, the commander of the South Bend recruiting company’s Mishawaka station, attended the Coffee Cruise-In for a Cause event. When not mingling with the attendees, he was manning a table with information about army enrollment. Long spoke about just how significant the Coffee Cruise-In for a Cause event truly is.
“Events like these raise awareness of hospice care, which is now an important part of our society,” Long said. “People need to know that anyone can require hospice treatment, whatever their age. Raising awareness and demonstrating the benefits of donating to organizations like CHC definitely helps the community as a whole. We really appreciate the opportunity to be out here and participate in this event.”
Michael Harradon, a South Bend resident and winner of the “Best Motorcycle” award, entered his custom motorcycle trike “Hot Wheels” into the contest. Harradon’s creation consists of a mid-1970s Springer motorcycle front end attached to the rear half of a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle. Due to a health condition, Harradon would become extremely overheated when riding two-wheeled motorcycles. Having created a custom trike that suits his needs perfectly, Harridon can now ride in the shade and – most importantly – in style. Harradon explained why he wanted to participate in the Coffee Cruise-In For a Cause event.
“The Center for Hospice Care goes above and beyond to make a person's final days and final moments more comfortable,” Harradon said. “They do this not only for the patient but for the family as well. They help immensely in the grieving process. I wanted to come out here to help draw a crowd, bring people out to make donations, make everybody happy, and bring up the hopes and spirits of the people involved. Hopefully, we can get the word out and have even more people come and enjoy this event in the fall.”
After applauding the contest winners, attendees and car owners alike departed in good spirits, looking forward to the next Coffee Cruise-In event.
To learn more about the Center for Hospice Care, please visit cfhcare.org.