Members of the Motorcycle Ride for Dad's Captains' Club have invididually raised between $1,000 to $10,000 to promote prostate cancer awareness and research. From left, they are Mike Paterson, Chopper Cameron, Terry Daigle, Don Yackobeck, Bill Kindratiuk, Ken Yackobeck, Siggi Taylor, Gerry Paterson, Frank Loeffen, Tony Bolwerk, Ken McLellan and Erica Weegar.
There were six of them sitting at a table in the Clarion Resort’s Founders room, chatting and teasing like old friends tend to do. They were all there for a common cause and some of them had already been recognized for their years doing it.
During National Volunteer Week, the Motorcycle Ride For Dad volunteers gathered to launch the start of their fundraising campaign. This year’s goal is to surpass last year’s amount: they want to reach $40,000 in donations.
Seated together were volunteers Ben and Ellen Vaillancourt, Gerry Paterson, Eloise Taylor, John and Leanne Giroux and Leanne’s guide dog, Albert. The Motorcycle Ride For Dad campaign, which collects funds for research and awareness of prostate cancer, takes place on June 20.
“Since 2008, 2,245 riders have registered for the Nipissing Ride For Dad. Those riders have brought in over $156,000 in pledges,” announced Mitch Belanger, the Celebrity Ride Captain.
Ben has been volunteering with the Ride For Dad fundraising campaign for seven years. His jacket had several pins he received to acknowledge his years with them. He was the first among their little group to join.
Gerry and Ellen joined after, along with John and Leanne. Gerry brought Eloise along too.
“And that’s how we became the Brady bunch,” Ben joked after explaining how they all came together to volunteer.
And now Eloise received her five-year pin on Thursday night.
“Everybody does a little job,” she said. “I took pictures one year.”
Ellen usually helps with the silent auction.
“Gerry is really good at bringing big, big prizes, a variety of prizes,” she said.
One year, Gerry, a plumber, brought in a new sink for the prize list.
“You go where you can and do what you can,” Eloise said.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed for men. One in seven Canadian men will be diagnosed with it. It kills about 12 people every day.
The Motorcycle Ride For Dad will be a day of fun for a serious cause and all funds collected stay in the community.
For more information or to make a donation, visit the Nipissing Motorcycle Ride For Dad website.
