Gord's Ride 4 the Cure Fundraiser

2012 Gord’s Ride 4 the Cure Sat,Sept 8th!

mary — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:57:09 +0000

We’re changing it up this year with our new friends at the Northside Community Civic Centre, 175 King Street, North Sydney, N.S! Friday Sept 7th will be the late registration beginning at 7:00pm. There will be a “Meet and Greet” with a cash bar and a first ever “Show and Shine” from 7:00pm until 9:00pm.
We will start the ride Saturday morning at 9:00 am from the Northside Community Civic Centre.
The ride will end at Membertou Trade and Convention Centre in Membertou with the poker draw and cash bar/food as before. Award ceremonies and prizes will begin at 7:00pm.
We’re still planning and making arrangements so we’ll add more as we know more ourselves.
Thanks so much for checkin’ us out!
We couldn’t do it without you!

$81,773.39 Total donated

mary — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 14:20:02 +0000

Thanks again to everyone who worked so hard on this ride! For those who are interested the breakdown of funds was donated as follows:
Cape Breton Regional Hospital Cancer Clinic $43,755.00
Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation $38,018.39
The riders determine for whom they raise funds.
Remember to look at Kristy MacLeod’s Photos. There are a lot of fun items you can purchase and the profits will be donated to next year’s ride.
See you next year!

Total donated $81,773.39.Way to go bikers!!!

mary — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 09:02:32 +0000

Kristy MacLeod Photography

Friday night started with the traditional Biker Barbecue at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre in Sydney where the bikers were entertained by the Eskasoni band the “Relatives”. The band was awesome and set the mood for everyone to prepare for a great ride.

Saturday morning started with less than ideal weather, but as always our nearly 800 bikers were up to the challenge. The ride left Membertou at 9:00 am sharp led by the Pink Superior Propane truck under RCMP escort. With all exits closed from Sydney to North Sydney, the RCMP were putting safety first.

The first stop was the Alexander Graham Bell Museum where the Baddeck Lions Club greeted the bikers with great refreshments. In spite of the windy weather the bikers set out to Cheticamp where the local restaurants were once again flying their pink balloons in support of the ride. Everyone had a great lunch stop to mingle with friends and then on to the Keltic Lodge where blue skies and a warm reception greeted them. The final stop was back at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre to prepare for the night’s celebration. Gord and Mary were on stage giving out over $20,000 in prizes with the help of the lovely “Ride 4 the Cure Show Girls” Emily Bushell and Lauren Butler.

Top Ten Club
Gold Timothy Milley $8,238.76
Silver Bill Steele $5,850.25
Bronze Jeff MacDonald $5,650.50
4th Linda Holmes $4,060.00
5th Renee Gillis $3,100.00
6th Tina Slaunwhite $3,000.00
7th Howard Seale $2,055.00
8th Alan Peddle $1,550.00
9th Dennis Best $1,201.00
10th Robert Rutherford $1,200.00
10th Louis Ferguson $1,200.00
Top Ten Total Raised $37,105.51

Each of the Top Ten Club were presented with plaques from Gord’s and each of them also received a gift from Ramsay’s Cycle for $300. They were also entered into a draw for a trip for 2 from WestJet. Linda Holmes from Baddeck was the lucky winner!

The Top Poker hand was won by Dave Martel from Dartmouth and he received a Kawasaki 250 Ninja from Gord’s and Kawasaki.

The auction that started in the window of “Cape Breton Radio” on Charlotte Street picked up later that evening live on stage. High bidder for the two custom painted helmets was Joe Anthony of North Sydney for $475 each. The next item up for bids was the “Ride 4 the Cure Fridge” drawing bids from as far away as Fort MacMurray where John Gnatiuk joined in by cell phone. He was top bidder at $1,100. The last item in the auction was a custom built motorized bicycle donated by Blair Clarke which raised an amazing $2,000 from top bidder Scott Palmer of Waverly. There were a lot of happy tears when Scott donated this prize to the Cape Breton HOG chapter to raise even more, in memory of his parents.

The awards for service and recognition were as follows:
2011 Service Award presented to ARC Construction. Special thanks to Angelo, Robert and Clayton.

2011 Hall of Fame
Tim Milley Top Fund raiser for 2011 and tireless supporter of the ride.
Blair Clarke for building the custom bicycle and longtime Ride 4 the Cure supporter.

2011 Youth Spirit Award
12 year old Breagh Hartland> For her year long fund raising efforts.

Once again Gord and Mary are overwhelmed by the generosity and support they receive each and every year from the bikers, the sponsors and the countless volunteers. A special thank you to our staff who step up to the challenge and add an additional 800 people to the list of their daily tasks. They volunteer for this event and they give so much heart and for that we are so very grateful. The RCMP, the Village of Baddeck, the town of Cheticamp and the staff of the Keltic Lodge and Parks Canada are all a vital part of the success of this ride. Special mention again to Calvin and Norma MacLeod who provided the support vehicle for several bikers. Our charities the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation/CIBC Run for the Cure and the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation ensure all of your pledges are accepted so safely. Special thanks to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation for assisting again in providing administrative support for this event. So many people thank us, but what is so wonderful is how so many people give and it warms our hearts every year. We are so proud to be Cape Bretonners and so proud to call this island home.
Thank you everyone!

Major Sponsors
Gord’s Sports Centre Racing
Canadian Kawasaki
WestJet
Cape Breton Radio (CJCB 1270/94.9 the Cape/98.3fm)
Membertou Trade and Convention Centre
Ramsay’s Cycle and Sport
Parks Canada
Halifax International Motorcycle Show
Kimpex
Superior Propane
City Printers
TerraMac Construction
Maritime Merchant

Prizes were donated by the following companies: Listed Alphabetically
Arachnia Designs
Biker Boy
Breton Toyota
Carpenter’s Union Local 1588
Central Supplies
City Motor Sports
Coors Light
Future Shop
Gamma Power Sports
Halifax Motor Sports
Home Depot
Home Hardware
J.R. Mahoney
Keltic Quay Resort
Kerr’s Controls
Kimpex
Kristy MacLeod Photography
Lloyd MacDonald KIA
Lloyd MacDonald Nissan
MacCoy Insurance
MacDonald Ford
Motorcycle MOJO Magazine
Motorcycle Tour Guide Nova Scotia
Motovan
NSCC
Parts Canada
Parts for Trucks
Safety Services Nova Scotia
Schwartz
Scotia Chrysler
Sea Parrot Ocean View Manor
Shoe Smiths
Snap On -Ken Saunders
Somethin’ Creatif
Sydney Motor Sports
Wilson’s Home Hardware
Yazers

2011 Barbeque tonight, the ride tomorrow!(Sept 17th)

mary — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 15:22:30 +0000

The rain should stop by noon or so today and Saturday will be sunny with cloud and even nicer Sunday and Monday for all you folks who have to drive back home after the ride. We still have some T-Shirts, but they are very low…. See you soon!

Check out the Ride 4 the Cure Sticker!

=”Sponsor Bill and Carla to ride for a loved one!”][/caption]>[/caption]

Place a Bid for this Collector's Item!

Superior Propane is a new major sponsor had their Pink Propane truck at Gord’s this morning with The Pink Spyder 3 wheel bike!

Who’s going to make the Top Ten this year? That’s right folks…the top guns! We know you want the braggin’ rights!

Also check out the Ride 4 the Cure fridge in the window at CJCB on Charlotte Street. Also place your bids on two Ride 4 the Cure custom painted helmets and the Ride 4 the Cure Bicycle!The bids are climbing!

Our major prize sponsor is West Jet. As an extra incentive to be in the Top 10 Club we have something new! Everyone in the Top Ten Club will receive a chance to win airfare for 2 anywhere WestJet flies!

Welcome another new sponsor this year is the Halifax International Motorcycle Show (Feb17-19,2012). They will be making a donation during our ride. Best of luck for the 2012 show!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 2011
Friday Sept 16th>
Membertou Trade and Convention Centre
5:00pm – 8:00pm> Late Registration and Pledges accepted
Beat the crowd and have your poker card punched Friday night and get your Parks Canada Pass!
6:00pm-7:30pm> Biker Barbecue> Indoors upstairs. Beef on a Bun. You must present your Biker Barbecue Card to be served. Cash bar open.
6:30pm-8:30pm> Live Band “The Relatives”
Saturday Sept 17th..Remember to bring your POKER CARD and get a PARKS CANADA PASS also.
< Start>Membertou Trade and Convention Centre Sponsor
As a note there will be no food/or beverages available that morning.
7:30am – 8:30am- Last minute registration and pledges accepted
8:45am – Driver’s meeting and safety notices. Support Vehicle>Calvin and Norma Macleod Cell 902-561-3078. They follow the ride 30minutes behind. If you break down, wait and they will get you.

9:00am – Ride departs from Membertou Trade and Convention Centre

1st Stop> Alexander Graham Bell Museum, Baddeck
10:00am – 11:00am> Enter and exit Baddeck on exit 9. RCMP directed.

2nd Stop> Arena, Cheticamp
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Arena>Poker Card Punch
Lunch>Restaurants of your choice. If you want to help raise more funds, please eat in a restaurant flying pink balloons as they have committed to making a donation as well.

3rd Stop>Keltic Lodge, Ingonish
2:00pm – 3:00pm
When you leave the route goes by way of the Englishtown Ferry and then back to Sydney.
Final Stop> Membertou Trade and Convention Centre
5:00pm>while demand lasts until about 9:00pm or so> Pub Style menu and full bar service for purchase at Membertou Trade and Convention Centre
5:00pm – 7:00pm>Draw your 5 Poker Cards on the far wall in the big room upstairs. You must present your “Poker Card” with each stop hole punched in order to be able to draw your poker hand.
7:00pm – 9:00pm Prizes and awards
We decided to open up the big prize for fund raising this year to the Top Ten? The more money you raise, the more chances you have to draw WestJet’s return airfare for 2 anywhere they fly. Keep the pledges coming!

Sept 17,2011 Pledge and Registration Forms

mary — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 13:32:16 +0000

Gord’s_Ride_for_the_Cure_8th Annual_Registration_2011-

Ride4thecure_pledge_form_2011_Breast_Cancer(1)

Ride4thecure_pledge_form_2011-CB_Hospital_Fd(1)

2010> $90,435.70 Divided between our two charities.

mary — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:43:49 +0000

Here is the updated allocation of funds raised on the 2010 Ride.
>Cape Breton Hospital Foundation Cancer Centre = $61,724.40.
>CIBC Run for the Cure Total = $28,711.29.

The riders raise funds for the charity of their choice and turn in those pledges at our ride.

2010 Official Photo Gallery is here!

mary — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 22:38:26 +0000

Check out the link to the right and see the awesome shots taken by Kristy MacLeod Photography. I ordered photos from SMUGMUG last year and they were well packaged and high quality. I also ordered a coffee mug with one of my favourites and it is also perfect and diswasher safe.
She donates 20% of the profits to the Ride so keep the orders coming!
Thanks again Kristy for donating your time to our cause and for getting so many wonderful shots!
Mary and Gord

$90,435.70 raised at 2010 Ride 4 the Cure! A new Record!

mary — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 18:46:32 +0000

Kristy MacLeod Photography..Official photographer for the ride

All the days of rain opened up to sunny skies to launch the 7th Annual Ride 4 the Cure. The ride left Membertou Trade and Convention Centre at 9:00am under RCMP escort followed directly by Bill Steele on his Ride 4 the Cure Pink CanAM Spyder with 8 year old cancer survivor Brandon Assoun at the controls. The RCMP, under the direction of Cpl. Ronald MacDonald, closed all exits to the 125 making way for nearly 800 bikers as they headed to Baddeck.
The Village of Baddeck closed the main street from the Yellow Cello to the lights to make way for the riders. The Lions Club,volunteers and Tim Horton’s(Errol and Holly MacInnis) provided complimentary coffee and refreshments by the information station.
From there it was on to Cheticamp where the cloudy skies made it a bit cooler, but the welcome was warm and riders were free to enjoy restaurants of their choice. Restaurants hanging pink balloons also donated to the ride.
Once they left Cheticamp the sun was splitting the rocks as they rode on to the Keltic Lodge who provided a massage station, a bike wash and chili which everyone enjoyed!
The final leg passed by the Englishtown Ferry where Captain Nelson Edge and his crew processed a record number of riders and additional cars due to road construction. A big thanks to everyone for working so hard and/or being so patient!
The final stop was back at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre where the riders picked their cards for the poker hand, enjoyed some food and shared their stories of the day.
The awards and prizes got underway about 7:45pm with prizes exceeding $20,000 in value. This year 2 Motorcycles were given away! Total pledges raised $90,435.70!
Top Fund Raiser was Sheldon MacDonald of Baddeck with $19,000. He won the green 250 Limited Edition Kawasaki Ninja donated by Gord’s Sports Centre Racing.
Top Poker Hand was Vince Wallace who won a red Kawaski 250 Ninja donated by Kawasaki and Gord’s Sports Centre Racing.

Gord’s Ride 4 the Cure 2010 Top Ten Club
Gold Sheldon MacDonald $19,000.00
Silver Bill Steele & Carla Murphy $6,400.00
Bronze Timothy Milley $4,023.90
4th Linda Holmes $2,705.00
5th Tina Slaunwhite $2,250.00
6th Howard Seale $1,850.00
7th Alan Peddle $1,600.00
8th Jim Gwinn $1,265.00
9th Jerry Currie $1,150.00
10th Bob Lawrence $1,055.00

Gord’s Hall of Fame 2010
Calvin and Norma Macleod>Support and safety vehicle who volunteer every year! The Maritime Merchant provided the gas and Burke’s Telus provided the cell phone.
Linda Holmes>Several year top 10 fund raiser, tireless supporter and cancer survivor. Sold the most calendars and also responsible for closing main street in Baddeck.
Bill Steele and Carla Murphy>Previous Poker winner who gave back by raising funds with the Pink CanAM Spyder. Note:Arachnia Designs did the wrap for the Spyder,the street banner in Baddeck and the Ride 4 the Cure Ribbon on Mary’s car.)

7 Year Service Award and Appreciation
Allan Peddle>With us from the start and provided radio support from CJCB 1270/MAX 98.2fm/94.9 the CAPE. His experience and his big heart have been amazing. He helped our dreams become reality!
Blair Oak> With us from the start with City Printers providing all of our posters,post cards and printing needs! You said yes when we were just dreaming!

Impossible without you!
CIBC Staff with Run for the Cure have not just accepted the funds raised, but helped us for 7 years with the planning and execution of this event. They add more heart than we could ever repay. We love the girls at CIBC!
Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation This was the third year in a row they provided marketing support and their staff once again jumped to assist where needed. A special thank you to Danielle Johnston for going above and beyond the call! We love you girls too!

Emily Bushell A big thank you to you for stepping up as our Ride 4 the Cure Show Girl for the second year! You add a touch of class! Also a big thanks to Mirrorball Entertainment for the second year providing the beautiful costumes! (mirrorball_entertainment@hotmail.com or 902-455-9047)

A special thank you to the Staff at Gord’s Sports Centre Racing who are pushed to the limit every September and also donated their time with this event! You guys rock!

Major Sponsors of the Ride
Gord’s Sports Centre Racing Limited
Kawasaki
Motovan
Kimpex
Parks Canada
CJCB 1270..94.9 the CAPE..MAX 98.3fm
Membertou Trade and Convention Centre
City Printers
Maritime Merchant
Terra Mac Construction
Motorcycle Tour Guide NS
Mirrorball Entertainment

A Big Thanks to the prize donors!
A huge thanks to the following firms for donating the great prizes!

Ramsay’s Cycle and Sport
Motovan
Kimpex
Gamma Power Sports
Soundafex
Scotia Chrylser
Central Supplies
MacCoy Insurance
Safety Services
MacKenzie Motorsports
Disco Tire Craft
Wilson’s Home Hardware
Motorcycle Mojo Magazine
Nova Scotia Community College
Schwartz Furniture
Molson Breweries
J.R.Mahoney
Parts for Trucks
Lloyd MacDonald Nissan
MacDonald Ford
Breton Toyota
Steve Lewis Auto Body
Home Depot
City Motorsports
Belmac
Kristy MacLeod Photography
Something Creative

A very sincere thanks again this year to all of the unsung heros who continue to help and support this event. It feels like magic and we believe it is. We would love to include every person who has helped but many of them are anonymous even to us. Every community jumps in to make this work and they make it run smoothly because they care. Stores lend us things, people cheer us on and it is so powerfully infectious. It makes us remember that when we join forces in Cape Breton we can do so much good! Every year we wonder if people will show up or if they are tired of doing this. Once again they came from Ontario, New Brunswick, PEI, Mainland Nova Scotia and Newfoundland this year in the pouring rain on Friday! One even flew in from working in Chicago the night before! The bikers,volunteers, sponsors and prize donors never stop. It is your continued support and enthusiasm that drives this event and we are once again honored and humbled by the outpouring of generosity, goodwill and heart that explodes every year with this ride. A lot of happy tears. Bless you one and all.
See you next year!
Gord and Mary

Gord’s 2010 Ride 4 the Cure Schedule

mary — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:28:23 +0000

Scroll down to print your registration & pledge sheets! We want to exceed last year’s record!
(Updated Sept 18th by Mary 4:00 am)
Friday Sept 17th>
Membertou Trade and Convention Centre
5:00pm – 8:00pm> Late Registration and Pledges accepted
Beat the crowd and have your poker card punched Friday night!
6:00pm-8:00pm> Biker Barbecue> Indoors upstairs. Beef on a Bun. You must present your Biker Barbecue Card included with your registration to be served.
Full bar will also be available for purchase.
Saturday Sept 18th..Remember to bring your POKER CARD on the ride You need PARKS CANADA PASSES< We have them for free at Membertou and at Baddeck
Start>Membertou Trade and Convention Centre
7:00am – 8:30am>Hot Buffet Breakfast $10 (this includes taxes etc)
– Muffins/Danish/Scrambled Eggs/Bacon and Sausage assorted
Juice and coffee/tea
7:30am – 8:30am>Last minute registration and pledges accepted
8:45am – Driver’s meeting and safety notices
9:00am – Ride departs from Membertou Trade and Convention Centre
1st Stop
The Village of Baddeck> 10:00am – 11:00am> New Stop!
The main street will be closed from the Yellow Cello to the lights for motorcycles only. Poker Card Punch and volunteers will be at the Tourist Centre at the lights.
**Safety Notice** When leaving Baddeck continue on the main street straight up the hill to the overpass exit to return to highway 125. Avoid crossing the 125. Safety first!
2nd Stop
Cheticamp> 12:00pm – 1:00pm > Cheticamp Arena>Poker Card Punch
***Safety Notice***Trk 30 – 3 km north of Cheticamp to 37 km south of Pleasant Bay .Bridge repair – one lane traffic, reduced speed required, be prepared to stop expect delay.

Lunch>Restaurants of your choice. Those flying pink balloons also donate to the ride.

3rd Stop
Ingonish> Keltic Lodge> 2:00pm – 3:00pm
When you leave the route goes by way of the Englishtown Ferry and then back to Sydney.
**Safety Notice***Road construction before Clyburn River past Park Entrance.
Final Stop> Membertou Trade and Convention Centre
5:00pm>while demand lasts until about 9:00pm or so> Pub Style menu and full bar service for purchase at Membertou Trade and Convention Centre
5:00pm – 7:00pm>Draw your 5 Poker Cards on the far wall in the big room upstairs. You must present your “Poker Card” with each stop hole punched in order to be able to draw your poker hand.
7:00pm – Prizes and awards
Who’s going to be in the Top Ten this year?

Bill and Carla Steele give back!

mary — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:12:06 +0000

Call Bill or Carla and have your loved one’s name added to this one of a kind tribute!

H:902-544-1270

C: 902-578-8223

They’ll do the ride for you!!