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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.