The 5th annual Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, held on September 24, raised more than $4.4 million for the Movember Foundation, their official charity partner for the second consecutive year. Astride their classic and vintage styled motorcycles more than 91,000 participants in over 600 cities across 95 countries came together to support the Movember Foundation and men’s health.
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, founded in Australia by Mark Hawwa, was first inspired by an image of Mad Men’s Don Draper, dressed dapper astride a classic motorcycle. Mark decided a themed ride would be a great way to raise the profile and awareness of prostate cancer and men’s mental health and challenge the often-negative stereotype of men on motorcycles.
“It’s been amazing and very humbling to see so many people from all around the world ride dapper for men’s health this year. With over 91,000 registered participants, the event continues to grow and we look set to reach our fundraising target of USD $5million. We’ve heard some incredible stories and started some potentially life-saving conversations. I am hugely thankful to the ride hosts, volunteers, sponsors, participants and donors for making DGR the amazing event we saw today.” Mark Hawwa – Founder of DGR
The Movember Foundation is the only global charity focused solely on men’s health. Since 2003, millions have joined the men’s health movement, raising over $769 for more than 1,200 projects focusing on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention. By 2030, the Foundation aims to reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25%.
The Movember Foundation also served as the beneficiary charity for the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride in 2016 in which more than $3.6M (USD) was raised for prostate cancer research & men’s mental health programs in partnership with the Movember Foundation. This year, the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride will double their investment in men’s health programs for the Foundation from 10% to 20%, and increase their cause awareness efforts as evidenced in their ‘Survivor’ video.
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