Category Archives: Charities

Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2024

Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2024
If you cant make it this year please consider sponsoring us. We will be taking part again this year on the West Sussex Ride. Last year we raised £447 in our first year with your help we would like to beat that.  Click the banner at top of the page or head to https://gfolk.me/MCMNews

How to take part in DGR

Register
Register your profile and check out your updated dashboard and profile page. There are quite a few new features that will put the fun back into fundraising!

Fundraise
Make a donation or share your profile to raise funds and receive some unique rewards. It all starts with raising funds for the cause. Find out more here!

Ride
Get on your motorcycle and ride through the heart of your city for men’s health. Don’t forget to dapper up and take a photo or two!

About
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride unites classic and vintage styled motorcycle riders from all over the world to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health. The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride was founded in Sydney, Australia, by Mark Hawwa. It was inspired by a photo of TV Show Mad Men’s Don Draper astride a classic motorcycle and wearing his finest suit. Mark decided a themed ride would be a great way of connecting niche motorcycle enthusiasts and communities while raising funds to support the men in our lives.

Information and images below provided to us by The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride.

DGR Achievements Since

2012

USD $45 Million – Raised for Men’s Health
500,000 – Classic and Vintage Riders
121 – Countries Around the World

DGR Story from 2012

2012

3,000 Riders

64 Cities

Our inaugural event started in Sydney and quickly made its way around the world with thousands of dapper folks riding in solidarity to positively represent the global motorcycling community.

2013

11,000 Riders | $277,000 AUD Raised

145 Cities

Carrying on the momentum from 2012, DGR began supporting Prostate Cancer Research by partnering with Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia. Participant numbers sky-rocketed, and DGR began to spread even further.

2014

20,000 Riders | $1,500,000 Raised

257 Cities | 58 Countries

After a successful campaign, DGR began partnerships with Prostate Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer Canada, Prostate Cancer Foundation USA and Prostate Cancer Foundation New Zealand. We also began our long-term partnership with Triumph Motorcycles, who continue to support DGR as Global Partner for 2020.

2015

37,000 Riders | $2,300,000 Raised

410 Cities | 79 Countries

After an exciting 2014, DGR showed no sign of slowing down in 2015. The event continued to grow in riders, funds raised, and the number of cities taking part. Our global community was forming, and the DGR passion boomed.

2016

57,000 Riders | $3,600,000 Raised

505 Cities | 90 Countries

This year, we began partnering with Movember as our official charity partner for DGR. In this year, impacted by the loss one of our ride hosts to suicide, we were driven to create change and awareness and funds for men’s mental health programs. Together with Movember, we have proudly continued to include a men’s mental health focus alongside our prostate cancer goals ever since.

2017

94,000 Riders | $4,850,000 Raised

581 Cities | 92 Countries

2017 surged ahead with fundraising reaching new heights. Driven by the inclusion of men’s mental health to our prostate cancer fundraising, the DGR community proved how meaningful its cause areas are, and how dedicated our riders are to making positive change.

2018

114,000 Riders | $6,100,000 Raised

648 Cities | 102 Countries

Reaching a new high, DGR raised over $6 million raised, over 600 cities, and 100 countries in 2018. These milestones continue to prove how incredible our community is!

2019

116,000 Riders | $6,000,000 Raised

678 Cities | 104 Countries

Backing up the achievements from last year, 2019 did not disappoint! We came together again to make a ground-breaking change to men’s health, and continue to fund life-saving research. And for 2020, we’re ready to do it all again!

2020

56,000 Riders | $2,700,000 Raised

2,531 Cities | 171 Countries

With COVID-19 affecting the world, we launched our Ride Solo campaign. Riding together on the same day, socially distanced but globally connected!

2021

65,000 Riders | $4,100,000 Raised

913 Cities | 116 Countries

As COVID-19 continued to limit group rides, we opened the ride to three formats allowing riders to take part together or individually.

2022

94,000 Riders | $6,040,000 Raised

804 Cities | 101 Countries

2022 marked the first year of returning to full-scale riding events. The DGR community rallied around the world to celebrate riding together again, reminding us all of the importance of social connections and physical events.

2023

106,000 Riders | $7,450,000 Raised

893 Cities | 107 Countries

A record-breaking year with the highest-ever fundraising for a single event, and the most cities taking place. 2023 celebrated a milestone 10-year partnership with Triumph and the continued funding of many incredible initiatives for men’s health.

For more info on what casues The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride supports head over to their website: https://www.gentlemansride.com/

Riding For Men’s Health
Movember Movember has been the official charity partner of The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride since 2016. Both organisations share a simple goal: to bring people together and change the face of men’s health.

Funds raised by The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride help to power Movember’s work across two of the most complex issues facing men around the globe: prostate cancer and mental health.

PROSTATE CANCER

Globally, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. Over 10 million men around the world are living with or beyond a prostate cancer diagnosis.

What is prostate cancer?
When cells in the prostate multiply too quickly and grow out of control, this creates a cancerous tumour. Often, this type of cancer grows slowly and doesn’t cause big problems right away. Sometimes, however, prostate cancer can be fast-growing and spread to other parts of the body, causing major damage. Catching cancer early, so that your doctor can keep an eye on it and recommend next steps, is ideal. If the cancer is caught later, you may still have options to work through with your healthcare team that put your quality of life first.

What are the risk factors for prostate cancer?
Prostate is particularly common in men over 50. If you’re 50 or over, it’s important to talk to your GP about keeping yourself healthy and any ongoing tests you may need as part of your health check-ups. If you have a family history of prostate cancer or sub-Saharan African ancestry, you need to start that conversation earlier at 40 to 45. Guidelines can be different, depending on where you live — so check with your doctor.

If you or someone you know are facing a prostate cancer diagnosis, click here to visit True North. True North is a website developed by Movember to help men find advice on prostate cancer treatments, common changes to sex and intimacy, unexpected bathroom trips, and much more.

MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION
Globally, on average, we lose one man to suicide every minute of every day. That’s half a million men every year. The issue of suicide is incredibly complex. But we know this: improving overall mental health and helping men establish better social connections can reduce the risk of suicide.

Simple steps to important conversations
A conversation can change, maybe even save, a life. Our friends at RUOK? have developed a simple four-step guide to help you navigate a conversation with someone who might be doing it tough.

Ask. Start by asking how they’re feeling. It’s worth mentioning any changes you’ve picked up on – like spending more time at the bar or they’ve gone quiet in the group chat.
Listen. Give them your full attention, no distractions. Let them know you’re hearing what they’re saying and you’re not judging.

Encourage action. Help them focus on simple things that might improve how they feel. Are they getting enough sleep? Exercising and eating well? Have they got others in their life that they trust to speak with? If they’ve felt low for more than two weeks, suggest that they chat to their doctor.

Check in. Suggest you catch up soon – in person if you can. This helps to show that you care; plus, you’ll get a feel for whether they’re feeling any better. Starting conversations with men who are struggling may seem daunting. But getting them to open up can be easier with practice. Movember has built an online conversation simulator called Movember Conversations to help give you the confidence to talk with men who may be struggling. Take it for a spin.

For more info on what causes
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride supports head over to their website: https://www.gentlemansride.com

Registrations Open Now for The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2024

Registrations Open Now for The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2024

The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride unites classic, modern classic and vintage styled motorcycle riders from all over the world to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health.

The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride was founded in Sydney, Australia, by Mark Hawwa. It was inspired by a photo of TV Show Mad Men’s Don Draper astride a classic motorcycle and wearing his finest suit.

Mark decided a themed ride would be a great way of connecting niche motorcycle enthusiasts and communities while raising funds to support the men in our lives.

Last year we raised £447 in our first year with your help we would like to beat that.

Please consider sponsoring us again https://gfolk.me/MCMNews

Overland riders raise thousands for charity

Visitors to last year’s Overland Event raised over £3000 for African motorcycle charity Pikilily and this year organisers hope to repeat that success for Air Ambulances UK.

Held at the historic Hill End outdoor activity centre near Oxford, from Thursday 31st August to Sunday 3rd September, the Overland Event has run annually since 2015 and has motorcycle travel at its heart. Every year the organisers choose a different bike-related charity to support.

Last year they selected Pikilily, following a presentation by its founder, Claire Elsdon, at the 2021 event.

Predominantly operating in Tanzania, Pikilily is an organisation working exclusively with women, training them to ride and maintain motorcycles safely.  They can then progress to generate an income for themselves, using the bikes to make deliveries or offer a taxi service.

Initial donations ahead of The Event reached over £1,500 and this figure was doubled following a whip-round on the Saturday night, reaching a total of £3,028. A delighted Claire said that amounted to almost a third of annual running costs.

For 2023 Overland will be supporting The Air Ambulance service in the UK. The charity was picked because of the life-saving work of Great Western Air Ambulance, when one of Overland’s volunteers was knocked off her bike during a tour of Cornwall.

Visit www.overlandevent.com/overland to find out more and book tickets.

Make a Donation to DGR – Free T-shirt Give Away From Vitesse T-shirts

On Sunday the 21st of May 2023, I’m riding in The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride with fellow men and women across the globe to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer and men’s mental health on behalf of Movember.

Men die on average 6 years earlier than women and for largely preventable reasons. The number of men that are suffering is growing, and we need to do something about that. So, before I press my tweed and polish my boots, I’m asking you to join me in raising funds and awareness for these causes by donating what you can for this meaningful cause and to help the men we love, live happier and healthier lives.

From today win a free t-shirt of your choice from Vitesse T-shirts (from the Ladies fitted Ringspun, Mens Ringspun and Heavy Cotton only range)

https://www.vitessetshirts.co.uk/collections/biker-t-shirts

To be in with a chance we ask that you make a donation of £5 or more to our DGR fundraiser below:

https://www.gentlemansride.com/s/501583/1695030/t 

The winner will be picked at random after the 21st May 2023