Amber Marshall and Graham Wardle, stars of the CBC show Heartland, will be appearing at a meet-and-greet autograph session in Cranbrook on Sept. 2.
The actors who play Amy Fleming and Ty Borden are working to raise awareness of prostate cancer and the need to catch the disease early. All proceeds from the sale of autographs will go to Prostate Cancer Foundation BC.
Wardle and actor, songwriter, record producer, Don McLeod, will be leading a group of motorcyclists on a tour of BC to raise awareness of prostate cancer. Mayor Wayne Stetski and City Council have declared September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Cruise With a Cause will see this group of bikers leaving from Vancouver, coming to Cranbrook and returning to the coast on their 5-day tour.
The group also features Dave Anthony, lead singer of the group One Bullet Down, and Peter Groenland, retired Vancouver Police Department sergeant. Groenland is a prostate cancer survivor and founder of the Westcoast Motorcycle Ride to Live. Graham Wardle and Don McLeod are the founders of “Cruise with a Cause.”
All the riders will be available for a meet and greet at 7 p.m. on Labour Day Monday at the Sandman Inn. Look for the display tent at the Denny’s parking lot.
Dave Anthony will be singing a few songs. Amber Marshall and Graham Wardle will be greeting fans and will have autographed pictures available for a donation of $10 to Prostate Cancer Foundation BC.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer to afflict Canadian men. During his lifetime, 1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with the disease. It is estimated that 23,600 Canadian men will be diagnosed with the disease in 2013. Over 90 per cent of prostate cancer cases are curable if detected and treated in their earliest stages. Early detection is key.
Prostate Cancer Canada encourages men over the age of 40, as part of their annual checkup, to initiate a conversation with their doctor about early detection of prostate cancer, which may include PSA testing and a Digital Rectal Exam.
A support group for men and their families who have experienced prostate cancer meets several times a year in Cranbrook. The next meeting is 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 18, at the Cranbrook campus of the College of the Rockies. Everyone is welcome at this meeting. The guest speaker that night will be urologist, Dr. Steve Schieman.
“It is heartwarming to see these riders doing all this for prostate awareness,” said Kevin Higgins, co-chair of the Cranbrook support group. “They have put so many hours into the organization and planning of the tour. Not to mention the long hours on the bikes.”
The Cruise With a Cause tour begins in Vancouver on Sept. 1 and ends back at the coast on Thursday, with stops in Chilliwack, Princeton, Cranbrook, Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna and Whistler. The tour has great sponsorship from Sandman Inns with some accommodation, Honda Canada with the loan of three Honda Goldwings, and Trev Deeley Harley with the loan of two Harley Davidson Softail Classics.
For more information, contact Kevin Higgins, Co-Chair PCCN Cranbrook, 250-427-3322 or by email kevbevhiggins@live.com.