Motorcycles roar for

PROSTATE CURE

By FRANCIE HEALY

“Normally,” says Garry Janz,

“we decide to do something and then see who shows up.” Now, 10 years, 27 cities, big

sponsors and millions of dollars for prostate cancer research and awareness later, Janz and Byron Smith are waiting to see who shows up for Ottawa’s annual Motorcycle Ride For Dad on June 5. By now they can be pretty sure

it will be a crowd. A huge one. Last year 1,800 bikes came out for The Ride. The Ride will leave the Aviation

Museum in Ottawa June 5 and end at the Civitan Complex in Almonte, with closing ceremonies and a barbecue at 3 p.m. The Motorcycle Ride For Dad

began when Janz retired from a long career in broadcasting. Although he kept on doing “a documentary here and there”, one of the first things he did was to go out and buy himself a motorcycle. During an interview at the

Kingston Cancer Centre in those days, he got to know a guy by the name of Charlie Pester. Charlie was suffering from prostate cancer.

10 BOUNDER MAGAZINE

“I didn’t know anything about

prostate,” recalls Janz. “I was having coffee with Charlie… just making small talk at this point, you know… and I said: ‘What are you doing this afternoon?’” He got a direct answer. “If someone had told me a year

ago about the PSA [prostate-specific antigen] test,” Charlie said, “I wouldn’t be going home this afternoon to arrange my funeral.” The comment hit Janz hard. “I got into my truck, went home

and told my wife. Then I went for a long motorcycle ride.” Janz’s wife, Linda McGreevy, was

working at the Ottawa Cancer Centre. Linda knew someone at the Ottawa Police Association named Byron Smith. Byron was a motorcycle rider, too. She thought the two should meet. It was 1999. Smith was Chair of the association

then (before he became President). He and the association were already involved in fundraising for the Boys’ and Girls’ Club, and he had been thinking that it was time to expand. He had already seen a presentation made by Linda McGreevy about prostate cancer, and knew about a smaller fundraising effort called “Do it For

GARRY JANZ, LEFT AND BYRON SMITH STARTED TH

Dad”, which was a walk. When Smith became President

of the Police Association, he was told he had to run in the Do it For Dad event. “I said,” he remembers with

a wry smile, “How about a ride instead?” When he met Janz for that first

time, over coffee at a Tim Horton’s, the first thing Janz said to him was: “Have you had your prostate checked?” Smith’s first question was:

“Have you ever organized a motorcycle ride?”

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