The Vancouver Island Westcoast Motorcycle Ride to Live is a fundraising event that benefits men and their families battling prostate cancer.
In 2022 the event takes place on September 11th. It involves riding motorbikes as well as a post-ride event with food and music. The event also involves raising both money and awareness.
The Vancouver Island Westcoast Motorcycle Ride doesn’t take place in Greater Victoria itself. It starts not far from Victoria, however, in Mill Bay. It also involves lots of men and their families from Victoria as well as from elsewhere on the island. The fundraising beneficiary, the Island Prostate Centre, is also based in Victoria.
For full details visit the Ride to Live website or Island Prostate Centre website.
The Westcoast Motorcycle Ride to Live in 2022
Over 250 motorcycles take part in the Westcoast Motorcycle Ride to Live event most years. Organized by the Island Prostate Centre, the event raises money and awareness to support those diagnosed with prostate cancer.
In 2022 the Ride to Live event takes place on Sunday, September 11th. The motorcycle component isn’t a competitive race. It’s more of a procession around a section of southern Vancouver Island. To that point, there are no prizes given out for the fastest times. The person who is “1st place” at the event is the one that is the biggest fundraiser!
Where is the Event?
The Ride to Live begins and ends at Enrico Winery which is located just north of Mill Bay. Mill Bay, meanwhile, is a small community about half an hour north of Langford, or 45 minutes from downtown Victoria. The winery’s address is 3280 Telegraph Road.
Last year the procession headed north from the winery up to Ladysmith which is a community halfway between Duncan and Nanaimo. From there it then looped back down to the winery in Mill Bay. The route in 2022 is to be confirmed, but will likely be similar or the same.
The motorcycle ride itself lasts for around 90 minutes and after that there is live entertainment, food, drinks and more to enjoy at the winery.
Registration Cost
There is a cost of $25 to register for Ride to Live. Like all other proceeds from the event, this fee goes to support the programs that the Island Prostate Centre offers. People are encouraged to donate as much as they are happy to on top of that, and collect donations from friends, family and colleagues who aren’t taking part in the event.
The Vancouver Island Westcoast Ride to Live raised over $28,000 last year. The year before it raised almost $42,000! In 2022 the goal is $50,000!
What to Expect
The 2021 ride began at 10 am at Enrico Winery in Mill Bay. The route went north along the coast all the way up to a little south of Ladysmith. From there it looped back down to end at the winery. The total time spent on the road is typically around an hour and a half.
After the ride, festivities continued at the winery last year until around 2 pm. There was a 50/50 draw to take part in as well as food trucks to grab lunch. Live music played and the afternoon was meant to be a fun, celebratory atmosphere. The 2022 event will be similar.
For those who want some professional pictures done with their motorcycles, there is usually a photographer on hand who takes photos of participants for around $20.
Other Information
For more information about the event visit the Ride to Live website or Island Prostate Centre website.
A similar event to this one is the Raymond James Father’s Day Walk/Run. It takes place in June and is also run by the Island Prostate Centre to raise funds for the same cause. The Walk/Run includes both a 5 km course and a 3 km course that participants can take on at their own pace.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- Victoria’s Calendar of Events
- Terry Fox Runs
- Lower Mainland Running Races
- Times Colonist 10K – Victoria’s largest running race (in late April).
- Victoria Marathon – a marathon, half marathon and 8 km races on the Thanksgiving weekend in October.
Examples of events raising funds for cancer in Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland region include the following:
- Father’s Day Walk/Run – a 2K, 5K and 10K walk or run at Burnaby Lake.
- Seek the Peak – a race raising funds for breast cancer on Vancouver’s North Shore.
- Terry Fox Runs – a fundraising run with multiple venues around the Lower Mainland and across Canada.
- Vancouver Movember Undie Run (in November)
