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Mo Riders come through Golden

They passed through Golden, and spent some time with the Golden Fire Department.
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The Golden Fire Department escorts Mo Ride Canada bikers through town on Oct. 23.

On October 17, three best friends left Vancouver on a bicycle journey they’ve called The Moustache Ride Across Canada.

They passed through Golden, and spent some time with the Golden Fire Department before the local firefighters escorted the riders  through town on Oct. 23.

Pedaling 4,700 kilometres over 45 days, Ben Frisby, Jordan Gildersleeve and Kevin Shaw – all 26-­‐years-­‐old – will battle the Canadian elements as they ride to Toronto to raise awareness and funds for men’s health. Their goal? To raise $100,000 for Movember and help grow countless moustaches as they cover the equivalent distance of 115 marathons.

“We wanted to do something epic as friends—check an item off the bucket list—but we didn’t just want to do a standard backpacking trip. We wanted to do something that would impact others in a positive way too,” says Kevin Shaw. “And that’s where the idea came to do a cross country ride to raise funds for a charity.”

When it came to choosing the charity, Movember was a no-­‐brainer for them. All three men have been touched by cancer; Frisby’s and Gildersleeve’s fathers have been affected by cancer, and Shaw lost his grandfather to it last year.

“For years we’ve individually supported Movember because it’s a cause all three of us relate to, and so many others do too,” says Frisby. “What many people don’t know is that testicular cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian men between ages 15 and 29.”

In 2013, more Canadian deaths will be attributed to physical inactivity (5.3 million) than smoking (5 million). Facts like these are a big part of Movember’s awareness campaigns as they address the importance of an active lifestyle, an element that resonates strongly with all three men who share competitive athletic backgrounds.

Along their ride, the men will stop by local TV and radio stations, schools, and events to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues. Their journey will end on November 29 in Toronto where, after 45 days of cycling through Canadian rain, snow and wind, they’ll celebrate with friends at the Movember Gala Parté.

“To support our journey people can follow us on Facebook and share our story. They can talk about men’s health issues with the guys in their lives,” says Gildersleeve. “And of course, if you can afford it, we would greatly appreciate your financial support in reaching our goal of raising $100,000 for Movember.”

The Moustache Ride Across Canada is the journey of three best friends battling the Canadian elements to raise awareness and funds for men’s health. Beginning October 17, they will bike from Vancouver to Toronto visiting news stations, schools, hospitals, and events while enduring the Canadian winter for 45 days. In total their ride will be 4,700 km, which is roughly the same as traveling from Vancouver to Whistler 41 times, or climbing the CN Tower from end to end 2,698 times. Teamed up with Movember, the goal is to raise $100,000 and help grow countless moustaches. Follow their journey at Facebook.com/MoRideCan and donate at MoRideCanada.ca.