Cars for Cancer event brings the car community together to support a grieving family
Elkhart, IND. --- A benefit called 'Cars for Cancer' was held on Sunday in Elkhart to show support for a local woman and her family who are dealing with the hardships that cancer brings.
Yvonne Rindfield of Bremen was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer earlier this month, and her family along with members of a local car club initially came together to raise money for her cancer treatments. Then, the event took a sad turn when the cancer took Yvonne's life just last Sunday.
“Cancer’s a very scary thing, and it’s heartbreaking to watch somebody you love go through cancer," says Ty Richardson, member of the MyCru car club.
Kim Rindfield and her family were devastated to hear of her mother's cancer diagnosis on February 1st. After various health issues and serveral hospital visits, Yvonne passed away.
“Fighting back and forth, on February 20th, she lost her battle with cancer," says Yvonne's daughter, Kim Rindfield. "So, I mean it was a very, very short, aggressive fight but I’m just glad it was very short because she’s not suffering and she wasn’t suffering for very long.”
'Cars for Cancer' was started when Kim's boyfriend reached out to members of his car club, MyCru, about helping Yvonne's family raise funds for hospital bills. After she passed, they wanted to continue to put on the event, but instead provide the financial support to her final expenses.
On Sunday, MyCru members drove their cars from Nappanee to Elkhart, where they had a standard car meet. But Sunday's car meet was different, they wanted to do something special to raise money for Yvonne's family as they mourn this sudden loss.
“We find people in need, we want to try to reach out and help and all come together, all of the car communities, getting them all together and bringing them together as one so that we can help out everybody that we can," says MyCru member Heather Lace.
“My heart is just so full, because people are coming out to support someone they don’t even know," says Rindfield. "They don’t know my mom, they just know that the crew needed to come together and support someone.”
The hundreds of members of MyCru are known for making a difference in the community and providing whatever help they can to those in need. Ty Richardson of MyCru plans to make 'Cars for Cancer' an annual event for anyone that deals with cancer in their lives.
"Today’s event, I’d like to make it an annual thing just so Kim and her family they know that we always got their backs, and any people who are struggling with cancer also come out to support the cause," says Richardson.
And Kim says if her mom was still here, she would thank everyone who came out from the bottom of her heart.
“My mom was a very emotional person, and she would just cry and say thank you so much, I can’t thank you guys enough," says Rindfield.
The 'Cars for Cancer' Facebook page has links to both the family's GoFundMe website and CashApp for donations.