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The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride is Fast Approaching
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (inclusive of both men and women) is less than a month away. It's slowly becoming one of the most influential grassroots motorcycle fundraising campaigns for prostate cancer research, while simultaneously raising global awareness.
READ MORE: The 2014 Distinguished Gentlemen's Ride - RideApart
It’s also a ride for the peacocks of the world, who wish to dress up, have a good time, and spend a dapper day with one another.
READ MORE: Triumph and Chris Pratt Auctioning Off Jurassic ... - RideApart
HUMBLE ORIGINS
In 2012, the DGR was a small event with only 2,500 individuals in 64 cities. Fundraising was not really part of the equation, but rather it was a ride that sought to combat the negative stereotypes of men on motorcycles.
It’s success was rampant and founder Mark Hawwa thought that the event could serve a worthier cause. In 2013, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride adopted a fundraising mission that spanned to 145 cities with nearly 11,000 individuals around the world participating. Through the use of social media and word-of-mouth marketing the organization raised $277,000. In 2014, participation increased to 20,000, and in the end the organization raised $1.5 million.
2015 projects almost 30,000 participants globally with an expansion to more than 400 cities around the world. The fundraising goal this year? $3 million (USD).
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride is the brainchild of Mark Hawwa and his closest friends in Sydney Australia in 2012. It was initially inspired by a photo of Jon Hamm as Don Draper from AMC’s Mad Men in a finely tailored suit, straddling a classic BSA in a wheat field. The Aussies thought such an image would be a great way to combat the often-negative stereotype associated with motorcyclists around the world. In time, they realized that changing an image issue was one thing, contributing to a cause was another.
This will be my second year participating in the DGR. I remember hearing about it when it came onto the scene in 2012 and I was intrigued by the concept. I was unable to ride in 2013 due to an injury and in 2014 I was excited and happy to participate in the Los Angeles ride. I even raised money for the cause.
For me the fundraising aspect is a personal endeavor. My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008 and because he caught it early, he managed to beat the disease. This ride is for him.
I encourage many of you to participate. It's a great day with a ton of excellent people, but first, there are some rules all riders must adhere to.
