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
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Biscuits with possible plastic pieces, metal found in ground pork: Here are the recalls for this week
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.