In 2016 Triumph Motorcycles is once again encouraging riders to don a dapper ensemble and take to the streets astride a classic motorcycle as it shows its support for The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride as global sponsor for the third year running.
The only motorcycling charity event of its kind, The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride was founded in 2012 and is a celebration of the art of being dapper and the style of classic custom motorcycles. Dedicated to raising funds to combat prostate cancer, the 2016 ride will take place on Sunday 25th September.
Triumph proudly became the global sponsor of the event for the first time in 2014 after deciding that the ride captures everything to be celebrated about motorcycling.
Last year saw record numbers of participants as more than 37,000 smartly-dressed gentlefolk joined forces in 410 cities, raising over $2.3M dollars for prostate cancer research from the saddles of their niche styled motorcycles.
In September 2016, with the support of Triumph Motorcycles, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride is aiming for 50,000 riders to take part in events in over 500 cities across 90 countries, all united in their support of men’s health. This year, for the first time, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride have chosen the Movember Foundation as their official charity partner and have set a fundraising goal of $5M to be invested by the Foundation in local and global prostate cancer research and suicide prevention programs.
Speaking on the initiative, Vimal Sumbly, Managing Director, Triumph Motorcycles India Pvt. Ltd said, “The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride is a wonderful platform for the riders to come together for a noble cause like creating awareness about prostate cancer. We, at Triumph Motorcycles India, are extremely happy to be associated with DGR for the third consecutive year, which is aimed at providing a wholesome riding experience to our customers and brand patrons alongside supporting a worldwide endeavour that deals with men’s health issues. The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2015 saw participation from over 500 passionate riders across the country; a number which we expect to grow exponentially this year.”
Mark Hawwa, Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride founder, commented; “We are just blown away by the traction and the enormous support over the past four years. It’s fantastic to see so many different countries and cultures uniting together to offer much needed support toward prostate cancer research and suicide prevention programs. Along with the synergy and genuine support from world class brands such as Triumph Motorcycles and Zenith Watches, and with passionate organisations such as Movember, together we will do everything we can to support the cause and cover the globe with incredibly well dressed gentleman and genteel lady folk.”
The most outstanding fundraisers globally will be awarded with a modern classic motorcycle from Triumph as a thank you for their support.
Mark founded The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride after being inspired by a photo of Mad Men’s Don Draper astride a classic bike, wearing his finest suit. It was 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. The first ride brought together over 2,500 riders across 64 cities. The success of the event encouraged Mark to consider how it could be used to support a worthy cause.
