The Distinguished Riders of Mangalore Gentleman’s Ride 2018 Rock during ‘DAAN UTSAV’
Come the 1st week of October, every year and the excitement starts to build up all across the world. Serious motorcycle riders or bikers as they are known as out here, will take out their best dapper suits and clean up their motorcycles – the classier and the more retro they are, all the better! They look forward to coming together at their local hangout, and when its time, they will ride out majestically in a proper formation, in a Gentlemanly fashion towards a pre-determined destination – all in the hopes and knowledge of helping to contribute towards Men’s Health, in particular, Prostrate Cancer and Mental Health.
Yes, it’s the annual Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride and how the actual DGR website puts it down in brief –
“On Sunday, September 30th, 2018, over 120,000 distinguished gentlefolk in over 650 cities worldwide will don their cravats, tussle their ties, press their tweed, and sit astride their classic and vintage styled motorcycles to raise funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer 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 Mad Men’s Don Draper astride a classic bike and wearing his finest suit. Mark decided a themed ride would be a great way to combat the often-negative stereotype of men on motorcycles, whilst connecting niche motorcycle communities together.
That first ride in 2012 brought together over 2,500 riders across 64 cities. The success of the event encouraged the founder to consider how it could be used to support a worthy cause.”
The funds thus collected worldwide are sent to the Movember Foundation.
In Mangalore however, as things do happen differently, due to lack of support from Corporates and Sponsors, we do it differently, as per every body’s convenience. With the 1st Sunday of the month – 7th October, finding everybody busy with personal lives and work, it was decided to take it forward on the 14th of October instead.
And so at 3.00 pm on a lazy Sunday afternoon, found a few riders dressed smartly in formals and casual-formals assembling elsewhere and then riding together to the Keerthi Triumph Showroom at Padil. They had generously offered their entire parking space as well as facilities to the riders for this worthy cause. As more and more riders started coming in, even from far-off places like Kasargod and Udupi. the mood started to build up and there was a lot of friendly interaction.
By around 4.30 pm, there was a short briefing by John D’Silva and Shawn Fernandez and contributions were offered by everybody. As per the previous years, whatever contributions come in, is all handed over to the Ave Maria Palliative Care, Vamanjoor, that operates solely on Donations and kindness of people, whose family are inmates.
Following this, everybody rode out in proper formation towards Vamanjoor, where the amount collected was handed over to Dr. Laveena Noronha, the Director of the Centre. Exactly one year back, a Suicide Prevention helpline was also kick-started to help prevent people from taking the extreme step. Hence the operations of both these two places do require constant fund flow, and the amount handed over to them was deeply appreciated by the Staff and Management of the Centre.
Coincidentally, the dates also fell within the ‘Daan Utsav’ or the Joy Of Giving Week, where everyone is encouraged to celebrate the festival of giving, in order to foster the spirit of giving selflessly all year round, in any small way possible.
And so it was, after the Centre visit, when all riders, proudly posed with the Daan Utsav smiley face sticker on their forefingers, simply to signify that they have done something.
Yes, just another part of the United Bikers of Mangalore in doing what they can towards society while keeping up their spirit and passion for biking!
Report by: Shawn Fernandez- Member of United Bikers of Mangalore