RIDE FOR DAD RAISING FUNDS, AWARENESS

An event in Coaldale this weekend hopes to raise funds for prostate cancer research and raise awareness of the importance of screening for men. The Southern Alberta Coaldale Ride For Dad kicks off with a pig roast at the Coaldale Inn on Friday sating at 6:00 pm. The main event takes place Saturday with registration starting at 9:00 am and the ride itself at 11:00 am.

Organizers of the Southern Alberta Coaldale Ride For Life are hoping to build on the success of last year’s event which raised around $20,000 for prostate cancer research. Event co-chair Mark Anderson says last year’s event attracted riders from all cross Canada.

“We had riders from Edmonton, from British Columbia, from all over. And it was a wonderful event.” he says. “Last year was the first time we actually had a pig roast fundraising dinner the night before the ride. And so we decided to do that again this year. And we’ll on Friday night at the Coaldale Inn, we have a pig roast that’s open to everybody, and it’s to raise funds for prostate cancer treatment and awareness.”

The honorary ride captain for this years ride is cancer researcher Desmond Pink from the Dr. John Lewis Laboratory at the University of Alberta. The Ride for Dad is a big supporter of the ground-breaking research taking place at the University, but Pink says just as important is the awareness it creates about prostate cancer screening.

“At some point in our lives, every man eventually will be affected by prostate cancer as a patient or a family member. So the easiest thing that we can do as men is get checked. The PSA test is internationally recognized as the best way to get screened,” says Pink.

To assist with this, the Prostate Cancer Centre from Calgary is bringing its Man Van to the event. The Man Van is Canada’s first mobile men’s health clinic offering free PSA testing for early detection of prostate cancer. The van was actually built at Intercontinental Truck Body in Coaldale and will be there from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm on Friday. Then on Saturday, the Man Van will be offering free prostate cancer screening from 2:00 to 6:00 pm at the Coaldale Inn. Anderson says it is a quick and easy way for men to get checked.

“Just at the end of last year, right, I. I got a phone call from a friend in the town who hadn’t been checked early and literally the day of the ride, he found out he had cancer, prostate cancer. And since then, two more of my friends that I’ve made down here have said, You know what? I just found out I have prostate cancer,” he relates. “And if we’d been able to have these guys in and checked early, we’d have a much better prognosis for guys. And it’s so survivable as long as you’re checked early. And so if you’re 40 years or older and you’re a man, just go in and have your PSA checked.”

The Ride for Dad is a national organization with 27 chapters across Canada. Since 2000 Ride for Dad events have raised over $40 million for prostate cancer research and awareness.