Nick Somers is hoping he can use his unusual choice of ride to raise money to end prostate cancer.
Somers is pledging for the 16th annual Manitoba Motorcycle Ride for Dad, a charity pledge motorcycle ride held every May. The ride raises money for prostate cancer research and treatment, through the Genomic Centre for Prostate Cancer Research and Manitoba Prostate Cancer Support Group.
This year’s ride will take place May 25, going from Polo Park in Winnipeg to Assiniboia Downs in Headingley, going down Portage Avenue with a police escort. From there, the riders hit the highway, heading to Selkirk, Gimli and back to the city for a wind-up.
Usually, the riders will be on Harley-Davidsons or other familiar makes of motorcycle. Somers won’t be - he’ll be on his highway scooter instead.
Somers first started taking part in the event in 2018, taking his Suzuki Burgman 400 scooter alongside the other bikes.
“For years, I've seen the advertisements around that time, on the news and everything for Winnipeg. I thought, ‘You know, that'd be a fun one to try out,’” he said.
“When I finally got my 400 scooter, I was able to make it down for the ride itself and it made a good impression on me, so I kept going to it.”
There aren’t many riders like Somers that take part in the event. He estimates the number of scooters he sees each year in the ride is likely in the single digits. There aren’t many other drivers from Flin Flon taking part either, as the Flin Flon Motorcyclists’ Assocation’s Run to the Border is often close to or the same time as the Ride for Dad. He keeps going down to Winnipeg to help represent his hometown and his adopted club - the aptly-named Slow Riders Scooter Club, a group for scooter fans from around the globe.
“It’s to represent the community up here and represent my club - I ride with the Slow Riders Scooter Club. It’s nice - I can represent the community up here and for a good cause, for prostate cancer,” he said.
The Ride for Dad consists of several events across Canada. The Manitoba one has raised over $110,000 this year for the fight against prostate cancer - Somers himself has been responsible for just under $1,000 of that this year alone and has been able to donate more than $5,000 in charity pledges over his past rides.
“I sign up and there’s a registration fee for myself to sign up to go. There are also pledges from businesses or charity groups or the public if they want to donate,” said Somers. People wishing to donate can pledge money to Somers’ ride and support the cause through ridefordad.ca - or you can donate if you bump into him around town.
“There’s ways to do it. You can either track me down - I have the paperwork here to get their information and receipts and all that - or you can go to the website," he said.
