Ride for Dad roars through Kingston, Napanee
The roar of engines could be heard throughout the city of Kingston Saturday, as bikers hit the road, racing out to “Ride for Dad”, raising money and awareness for prostate cancer research.
It’s something David Bailey knows all about, having been diagnosed in 2017.
He says his life changed on a cross-Canada motorcycle trip, using the very motorcycle he uses today.
“I was on a big trip out west, when I returned I thought, this isn’t quite right,” he explains.
He says he visited his doctor, and after a blood test, was told the news.
“Within three weeks, I had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. It came out of nowhere, very suddenly.”
He is cancer-free today and rides his motorcycle to raise money for cancer research because some of his friends have not been so lucky.
“That’s why I take part in this,” he says. “I’m a big believer in the research and the work that goes on in Kingston for this.”
The event has been going on in cities across Canada since 2000, after first launching in Ottawa that year.
Kingston was the second city to host it in 2004 and on its own has raised $1.5 million throughout the years.
On Saturday, more than 250 drivers paraded, waved flags, and honked their horns, driving from downtown Kingston to Napanee and back.
The Canadian Cancer Society says prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in men but if caught early there is a strong survival rate. Organizer Marion Perry says the event promotes awareness.
“Men in their 50s should be getting checked. That is the main message that we’re putting out there,” she explains. ”If I knew then what I know now, about this disease, and it’s a silent disease, I might have saved my dad.”
Perry lost her own father to the disease in 1996. He died one week after being diagnosed because she says he didn’t know to get checked.
“Every day, 63 men are diagnosed and 11 men die from this disease. So we’ve got a lot of work to do,” she says.
The charity has raised more than $35 million since it started.
Putting the pedal to the metal, Bailey says that money has saved lives.
“We’re here for one cause, and I think that help keeps us all together,” he says.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.