Following a trip to Ottawa to the Motorcycle Ride For Dad's (RFD) annual summit, rural Alberta chapter chair Dean Harper returned home last week with the prestigious President's Choice Award, which has only been given out four times since the foundation's inception 13 years ago.
Harper says it was a “complete surprise,” and that he was not expecting it at all, as he hasn't done anything special to receive the award, other than do what he can to help forward the cause.
“It's really hard for me to describe why I got it,” Harper told the Gazette. “In past years, it's been given out for those who have gone above and beyond within their chapter, the time they spend, the dedication to the cause. So I guess that's why I got it too.”
He attended the summit with co-chair Gil Enns, and the summit is where chapters from around Canada come together to discuss what strategies work and which ones don't, he said.
“The rural chapter also received the award for highest third-party fundraising dollars raised all across Canada. That's completely awesome, and a lot of that goes to our local communities and was because of the (Mountainview Colts) versus Three Hills (Thrashers) hockey game last year,” he said.
Because of the community support, the Colts and Thrashers were able to pull in just over $40,000 for the Rural Alberta RFD, he added.
“It really raises eyebrows and gets the attention of the national organization. We have chapters across Canada asking us how this works, how to do it, to see if they can try and do it,” he said.
“It makes us proud and honoured to be able to sit back amongst our peers and say ‘we didn't do much, it's these organizations that did it, it's the community support that did it.' We just happen to be the benefactors of this amazing group of kids and families that have done this for us.”
Their total fundraising dollars for the last year added up to about $180,000, between the hockey game, rider pledges, sponsors, and other fundraising events, he added.
The money raised stays in Alberta, and is put towards both raising awareness and research for prostate cancer.
“With the rural ride, our money goes to awareness and research, and we did a big awareness campaign last year, which we will be continuing this year, because that's really the more important part to us.”
He said the Calgary and Edmonton chapters are contributing to the research more than his chapter, as they have the facilities, whereas the rural chapters are focusing more on raising awareness.
“Once the Red Deer Hospital has a research department with the prostate wing, then our money will be going towards some projects there,” he said.
The reason the ride pushes so hard is because one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lives, he said.
“Now, go into a room, let's use a hockey locker room for example. Have every seventh player stand up, then look around. That brings it closer to home,” he said.
“It makes you go ‘wow.' It impacts us a lot more than we realize. Us men fear doctors, we have this internal sense that says stay away from any medical facility.
“We go when the spouse in our life, or mom or aunt, or some other female, is dragging us by the ear, kicking and screaming.”
The key thing to remember is that prostate cancer affects not just those who get it, but their families.
“Go get checked, get treated if need be, for your family, not for you,” he said.
“This is why we do what we do, why we spend so much time and energy. We're all volunteers…I'm incredibly honoured to have received (the awards), but do I think I deserve it? No. How am I working harder than anyone else in the other chapters across Canada?” he said.
The clubs are doing it because they want to save the lives of men, because early detection is often the key to conquering it, he said.
He added the only reason the ride has continued with the momentum it has is because of community support throughout the region.
