Calgary motorcycle enthusiasts dress up in 'Sunday Best' to raise awareness for men's health
A group of Calgary motorcycle enthusiasts showed up in style Sunday, wearing their finest three-piece suits and vintage attire in an effort to raise money for men’s health.
After two years of disruption and social distancing, the 11th annual Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) was finally able bring more than 120 riders out for the fundraiser event.
Kickstands went up at 1 p.m. Sunday as the group of motorcyclist rode through the southeast community of Inglewood.
A little more than $20,000 was raised, with proceeds going to men’s prostate cancer research and suicide prevention, through the Movember Canada charity.
Deborah Kearns attended the event this year in memory of her late husband, Dave, who passed away from prostate cancer in 2019.
“Dave was heavily involved in motorcycling and this was a great cause that was dear to him, mostly because of mental awareness,” Kearns said.
“Dave did the ride four or five times before he had passed and the last one, he had brought his sidecar. He would be so impressed if he were still here, it would have meant the world to him.”
The DGR is an event held in more than 100 countries and 800 cities world-wide. It was created in Australia by Mark Hawwa, who wanted to combine his love for motorcycles and fashion with fundraising efforts.
In Calgary, event organizer Brian Smith says the awareness surrounding men’s health has grown substantially over the years.
“Prostate cancer is such a killer and we’ve also noticed that men have an extremely high suicide rate so we thought we should dedicate some of our fundraising to both of those causes and help men with their mental challenges,” he said.
“It’s become a pretty popular event because it’s so much fun, everybody dresses up, you get to show off and we always get a chance to meet each other through a social event at the end.”
More than 1,500 riders across Canada participated in this year’s event.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.