More than a thousand motorcycle enthusiasts in Winnipeg hit the hot pavement this weekend to raise money for a good cause.
About 1,500 motorcycles were set to rev up in unison at the Polo Park parking lot as the 18th annual Ride for Dad parade got started Saturday morning.
The annual charity has raised more than $5.8 million for the fight against prostate cancer since 2009.
“Once I get riding, I get excited because all the motorcycles will start,” said Deo Avila, who’s been taking part in the ride for about five years.
“I’m happy that I am riding and supporting the prostate fundraising.”
The Manitoba ride is part of events held across Canada in support of the Prostate Cancer Fight Foundation. Rides for Dad in more than 20 communities have raised $39 million for the charity since the first event was held in 2000.
Organizers of the Manitoba event were aiming to match a record set last year, when the ride in Winnipeg raised $762,000.
Ed Johner, a spokesperson for the Manitoba event, is a prostate and kidney cancer survivor. He said doctors were able to treat his cancer successfully because it was detected early, when he still presented no symptoms.
Johner said not everyone is as lucky.
“It’s estimated that 1.2 million Canadian men have prostate cancer. Eighty per cent don’t know it,” Johner said.
(Kevin Nepitabo/CBC)
Prostate cancer doesn’t just affect men, he said. “It affects wives, it affects daughters, it affects mothers.… I lost my dad to prostate cancer. So it’s critical that we get this message out.”
Bill Brokke said he knows a lot of people who’ve fought cancer, so participating in the ride has a personal significance.
The ride “gets people involved” and raises awareness about getting checked early, Brokke said.
“There’s camaraderie” at the event, he said. “There’s nobody on a motorcycle that won’t stop and help somebody. Anybody on the road, we’ll stop and help them.”