The La Porte Hospital Foundation received a donation after a group of people decorated their demolition derby car for cancer awareness to raise money for cancer patients in the community.
After ensuring that their derby car is mechanically ready for a race, derby car drivers often spend time painting their cars to represent themselves or a cause that they are passionate about. This includes having family and friends who helped with the car sign their name somewhere on the vehicle. When attending a demolition derby, the crowd is able to follow certain cars in the wreckage because of these markings.
Hazel Roskowsky and her family and friends saw that as the perfect opportunity to raise awareness for a worthy cause – supporting local cancer patients. Rob Moorfe’s demolition derby car was painted pink for breast cancer awareness, and family and friends wore pink while promoting their cause and the car.
Before running in the derby, Moorfe took his car to the parking lot in front of Andy’s Furniture and asked for donations of $1 a person to sign the vehicle. Moorfe, Roskowsky, and other family members and friends made posters and stood along Lincolnway to encourage people to stop by and give a small donation.
Rob Moorfe then ran his car in the La Porte County Fair’s International Demolition Derby on July 10, 2016 with his family and friends there to support him.
When looking for a place to donate the money, Ruskowsky reached out to the La Porte Hospital Foundation’s cancer fund. One hundred percent of those gifts go directly to patients with cancer in need of financial assistance, and enables community members to access free health screenings. The Foundation is able to help community members focus on treatment and worry less about financial obligations through the gifts donated to this fund.
“We just did it because we like to help out,” said Ruskowsky. “We like to do a lot of charity work.”