Ride for Dad Canada celebrates 25th anniversary with flag relay

A long-running fundraiser for men’s health is marking 25 years with a cross-country relay.

Motorcycle Ride for Dad is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a cross-Canada flag relay.

Since the Ride for Dad began in 2000 in Ottawa, the event has raised over $43 million across the country with all proceeds supporting the Prostate Cancer Fight Foundation, according to a news release.

To mark the milestone, riders will be carrying a flag from Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia—passing the flag on to Ride for Dad chapter members across the country.

“And then we look at the map, and the next chapter is Manitoba, and we need a vacation,” said Tracey Bell, co-chair of Grand River Ride for Dad in Kitchener–Waterloo, Ont., who rode into Manitoba from Ontario to pass on the flag.

Bell arrived in Winnipeg Wednesday morning along with five other riders to pass the flag on to members from the Manitoba chapter, who will be taking the flag to Regina to continue its journey west.

“Men are notoriously bad for looking after their health,” said Bell.

“This trip is women talking to women, and we all know that fathers, husbands, partners, sons, brothers-in-laws, they need women to push them along. So, we’ve been trying to convey to women the importance of men having their PSA [prostate-specific antigen] test.”

Bell said Motorcycle Ride for Dad has 25 chapters across the country, with each chapter anticipated to sign the cross-country flag.

-With files from CTV’s Jamie Dowsett