KELOWNA – A sea of motorbikes roared down Highway 97 through Kelowna this morning, making noise to raise awareness and donations for prostate cancer.
Every year, hundreds of riders make the return trip from Kelowna to Oliver, raising money for the Sindi Hawkins Cancer Centre.
It was the first clinic in BC to pioneer a high dose radiation treatment for prostate cancer.
For a lot of the riders, the cause is personal.
“I was diagnosed with prostate cancer 2B on February 4,” says rider Bob Charron. “On May 4 I had the surgery, brachytherapy, here in Kelowna. I’m a recovering patient. I’m not a survivor yet, that takes two years for confirmation, but I am a recovering patient.”
Ken Roche also had prostate cancer, and says he has a message for every man over the age of 40.
“Go and get checked.”
Sixty-five Canadian men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every day, according to the Canadian Cancer Society.