It's something not a lot of men want to think about, let alone talk about, but prostate cancer awareness is the key to prevention.
Ladies, opening those lines of communication with the men in your lives is very important, said Charles Brunette, chair of the third annual local Ride for Dad, an annual event that takes place in 31 communities across Canada.
The Prince George run takes place Saturday, June 15 starting at Kinsmen Community Complex. Last year, in the pouring rain, about 87 motorcycles did the run. The best year for attendance was the year before that, with 167 motorcycles on the move.
The fundraiser brought in the same amount of money, oddly enough, Brunette said, with a total of more than $23,000 raised each year on ride day going to prostate cancer research.
Celebrity ride captain is once again Doug Jones, a local radio host, who Brunette said is a big supporter of the cause and offers his talent as master of ceremonies during the event.
"It's so important for men to get checked," said Brunette, who lost a good friend to prostate cancer. "There is testing available and we encourage men to get a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test -- whatever it takes to make sure they are in the clear."
The test can be taken at any time to establish a baseline for that individual. Then, if subsequent tests are different from the original, that could be an indicator that all is not well, alerting the doctor, who can then do further testing.
Unfortunately, the cost for testing in B.C. is up to the patient, said Brunette, and it varies from between $17 and $32, depending to which lab the sample is sent.
"Some provinces cover the cost of the PSA test but B.C. doesn't yet," he added.
There is a pre-registration available on Friday, then again on Saturday from 9 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. with the ride beginning at 11 sharp. RCMP will be escorting the motorcycle riders.
"We'll be coming down Queensway from First Avenue to Ferry and all the way down Ospika Boulevard from Tyner to Fifth Avenue," said Brunette.
The first 200 riders to register get a free meal, as the barbecue is set up for lunch at the Kinsmen Complex. This gives the community an opportunity to attend the event without having to get on a motorcycle, Brunette explained.
"It gives people a chance to get a look at all the bikes before they go on the poker run," he added.
Pledge forms are available online at www.ridefordad.ca.
"Even if you don't ride, you can still be a champion of the cause by collecting pledges and then bring it with you to the event on June 15," Brunette said. "We're always looking for people to be on the executive team and they don't have to be riders. We're looking for people from all walks of life."
