LAKELAND - On May 1, the Lakeland Ride for Dad held its Media Kick Off Event to generate excitement and support for upcoming activities aimed at raising awareness and funds for prostate cancer research.
The event, which took place at 5 p.m. at Sick Cycles in Bonnyville, featured a barbecue with a $15 fee, with all proceeds going towards the Clayton Bellamy Foundation project for the creation of the Strathcona Performing arts Centre.
Additionally, the event was an opportunity to support the fight against prostate cancer.
This kickoff event is leading up to the Lakeland Ride for Dad's main event, happening on June 22 at the Alexander Community Hall.
Following the barbecue, riders embarked on a ride to the Cold Lake Brewery at 6 p.m., a new partner with Lakeland Ride for Dad. Cold Lake Brewery has collaborated with Ride for Dad to create a special beer called “Iron Horse,” named in honour of the event.
Jan Stewart, co-chair of Ride for Dad, expressed the importance of the partnerships that support their cause. He discussed the key role of Steve Van Heck, owner of Sick Cycles in Bonnyville, in fostering the community's involvement.
“Steve is a sub-sponsor, and we partnered with him in 2018, I believe. He's a really good sponsor and he's a motorcycle shop, and we have a good relationship.”
Stewart added, “Bonnyville and Cold Lake are the largest areas that support us. And since we've been partnering with Sick Cycles, we've had a lot more riders from Bonnyville that are part of it.”
Sick Cycles has been an integral sponsor for Lakeland Ride for Dad, helping to increase participation in the Bonnyville area. The City of Cold Lake is also a significant sponsor, lending one of their Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) meeting rooms for the Ride for Dad meetings. Stewart explained, “That's a lot of that value to us. We're very happy to be in a partnership with them.”
Stewart also spoke about the new collaboration with Cold Lake Brewery, mentioning that the idea to create a branded beer came from other Ride for Dad events across Canada. The brewery will produce and distribute the "Iron Horse" beer, with proceeds benefiting the Ride for Dad foundation.
In addition to the partnerships with local businesses, Lakeland Ride for Dad is supporting the Cold Lake Scouts on June 22 for the ride event.
“We are partnering with the Cold Lake Scouts, the local ventures, because they are going to Victoria, and we are helping them fundraise because they need a lot of money to get to Victoria. They are going to be cooking our breakfast and making the profits for breakfast and our dinner after the ride.”
Volunteers are crucial to the success of Ride for Dad, and Rich Kotowicz, the awards and prize coordinator, encouraged community members to get involved, noting, “We're always looking for volunteers for the ride. More volunteers, less everybody's got to do. Community effort, right?”
Stewart emphasized the accessibility of the event, inviting everyone to participate.
“Whether it's ride day or being a part of the committee or sponsorships or riders, contact me. You don't have to have a lot of experience. You don't have to have a prostate. All you have to have is a heart.”
His closing message was clear - “Let's work together to put prostate cancer behind us.”
Another initiative by the Ride for Dad is bringing the Man Van to the region. The Man Van is a mobile men’s health clinic that offers free Prostate Specific Antigen blood testing for men ages 50-70, which can assist in early detection of prostate cancer. All men over 18 will receive blood sugar checks, blood pressure checks, mental wellness checks, and waist circumference measurements.
The Man Van will be at the Cold Lake and District FCSS on June 7 from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The City of Cold Lake helps sponsor this initiative.
If individuals would like to get involved or need more information, contact Jan Stewart at 780-545-7860 or [email protected].
