Ride for Dad hits the road in Kingston to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer research
One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, and hundreds of bikers joined the fight in Kingston at the annual Ride for Dad on Saturday, hoping to help find a cure.
After his father died from complications from the disease, and with his brother in remission, it is a cause that hits close to home for motorcyclist Mark Harding.
"It’s very debilitating. I saw my brother, 6 ft. 2 inches whittle away to about 170 pounds," Harding says. "And to watch him whittle away like that was hard to take."
The Canadian Cancer Society says prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. One in eight men will be diagnosed in their lifetime, and those who have a family history are among the most at risk.
Harding says it is about preventing other families from going through the same thing.
"Prostate cancer touches everyone; whether it’s a friend, a brother."
The Ride for Dad events take place across Canada. It first started in Ottawa back in 2000.
Kingston was the second city to host a Ride for Dad, and it has raised more than $1.6 million since it started back in 2004.
The tens of thousands raised on Saturday will add to the more than $37 million the Ride for Dad events have raised for prostate cancer research in Canada.
Linda Galloway, the national project specialist for Ride for Dad, says it’s also about awareness and having men get checked.
"Early detection is key in survival," she explains. "It’s so important we’re not in a corner talking quietly about prostate cancer; we need to be shouting it from the rooftops."
Rider Trevor Hughes agrees, noting his father-in-law is a survivor.
"Talk to anybody, talk to your wife, especially talk to your doctor," he says.
This is the third province he has joined a Ride for Dad event. The kilometres raced today through downtown Kingston and up past Westport will add to those he’s ridden over the years to raise money.
He says it is also about joining fellow riders in the fight.
"I love it," he says. "I love to ride and you meet excellent people on this ride."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.