Ride de Filles raises over $220,000
There were more than 600 motorcyclists parading through the Eastern Townships on Saturday as Ride de Filles, a motorcycle charity group in Quebec, held its 13th annual fundraising event for breast cancer research.
In a phone interview, Lulu Hughes, president and spokesperson for Ride de Filles, said it was an overwhelming experience. There were more than 400 women on motorcycles, another 100 motorcyclists for security reasons, and roughly 100 more friends and family in tow.
“I felt a lot of gratitude […] I’m really overwhelmed in a positive way. I’m very touched because I’m a survivor,” said Hughes. “I had breast cancer and that’s why I’m so into this cause; it’s very important to me.”
According to the president, the charity group reached its target of $150,000 a week before the event. By the time Saturday rolled around they had eclipsed $220,000, which is about $100,000 more than Ride de Filles raised last year.
Hughes was 49 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. She noted that although it was a difficult period in her life — her mother was also battling lung cancer — she was surrounded by friends and family, and showered with support from the public.
It was an unfortunate situation, but Hughes also felt lucky. Whenever she would go in for her chemotherapy treatment, she noticed a lot of women were alone, lacking the emotional, physical and mental support that she had in her corner. It started to weigh on her.
“I felt guilty about that, and I really felt that I needed to do something, that I needed to contribute, to help these people,” said Hughes. “I couldn’t just stay there and not do anything about the whole situation.”
When her mother passed away in January 2017, Hughes decided it was time to step up. She was motivated to do something, to help all of the women she saw who had no one to stand by their side while they went through a battle with cancer.
However, Hughes never anticipated she would be involved with a group raising and contributing so much for breast cancer research. And she even became a motorcycle enthusiast, which is something she never thought would happen in her life.
“I actually love it,” said Hughes. “Now, I’m a motorcyclist.”
Ride de Filles Vice-president and General Manager Michel Côté told The Record that he was stunned by Saturday’s turnout. People decorated their motorcycles in pink, and residents from each of the towns that the convoy passed through came out to cheer them on.
“The first year, they were 50 riders and they collected $5,500 and that was the beginning of Ride de Filles,” he said, “Now, 13 years later, we have 400 women riding for the foundation and we are very close to $1 million collected over those years.”
After the outpouring of support on Saturday, Côté is confident that they will reach the $1 million mark next year. And their fundraising campaign is not over, he explained, it ends at the end of October; on the last day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The annual, one-day event started in 2008, and it takes place all over Quebec. This year, the convoy started in Cowansville, pushed through Knowlton, a lunch break in Mansonville, up to Valcourt and then finished at Carrier Sherbrooke in Rock Forest.
“What we do prior to the ride, we send a communication to all of the towns that we’re going through and they publish that on their Facebook, website, or whatever, and we saw a lot of people on the road waving hands, holding balloons,” said Côté.
The motorcycle ride concluded with a musical performance from a P!nk cover band. It was also an emotional event, as Ride de Filles brought dozens of breast cancer survivors, and fighters, onto the stage for a moment of celebration, and reflection.
According to the Ride de Filles website, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Canada, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among Canadian women. The deadly disease also affects about 210 men per year, and results in about 60 deaths.
“We all have someone in our area that was hit by that, and on a personal standpoint, myself, I was not aware even four years ago, believe it or not, I was not aware that breast cancer can also affect men,” said Côté.