There are very few moments when the entire world comes together for something far greater than all of us and I was lucky enough to witness such an event on 30th September 2018. It was the Distinguished Gentleman Ride to raise funds for Prostate Cancer Research and Men’s health initiatives of Movember Foundation, the world’s largest Men’s health organisation. History of the Distinguished Gentleman Ride (DGR):
The Annual event, which has been bringing the motorcyclists from around the world together, has raised a sum of $13 Million since 2013. There is another $6 Million in the pipeline, as an objective, to be raised this year. Previously the Delhi ride alone raised almost Three thousand dollars in funds. 2018, also witnessed the participation of more than 400 riders including Journalists, veteran riders and professionals alike. Prominent guest at this event included Daler Mehndi, an Indian singer, and Maj. Gen. R.K.Jain, who is known for his solo ride from Delhi to London and Delhi to Sydney in 1980 on Kinetic Honda Scooter after his retirement; Diljeet Titus (world-renowned lawyer, secretary HMCI, Internationally acclaimed vintage collector.
About the Event:
The Ride from Biker’s cafe, Gurgaon to Pullman Hotel was flagged off at 6:30 AM in the morning, shortly after a round of Tea, biscuits and band performance. The best thing about the ride was the dress code in which all of us were asked to show up. It was two piece silk suits and formals that had replaced the traditional riding jacket on the morning of 30th September. Even the motorcycles suited the theme of the party, from Triumph’s T100 to Royal Enfield’s entire classic lineup.
There were also several customs, Harleys, Dominars and Benellis in the crowd to diversify the big event. The ride was really successful and the entire show took place without a hiccup. Safety riders on Royal Enfields, Ducatis, and Dominars were keeping the traffic at bay so we could ride freely without any halt. These talented Riders keeping a watch over us were from Royal Mavericks, the largest Royal Enfield riding group in India. Under their management, every part of the ride and after-event went fluently.
An appeal for the people:
According to the cancer.org, 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. Worldwide 8.2 million people died from cancer in 2012. In modern times it is unfortunate that all of us know someone who has lost the fight against some type of cancer. It’s not just one big step that we need, to fight against this deadly disease but also several small ones. It is a humble appeal from us for you to Visit, So far, $5.7 million dollars have been raised, help in whatever way you can and it will be enough.
By: Yetnesh Dubey