Tyler chapter of Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride raises more than $25,000 for men’s health

Published 5:30 am Wednesday, May 24, 2023

The Tyler community has joined a global movement that aims at raising money and awareness to men’s physical and mental health. The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) was founded in 2012 in Sydney, Australia, by Mark Hawwa. It was inspired by a photo of TV Show Mad Men’s Don Draper astride a classic bike and wearing his finest suit.

Hawwa decided a themed ride would be a great way of connecting niche motorcycle enthusiasts and communities while raising funds to support men’s health.

The event quickly became popular around the world and in 2013 DGR partnered with Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia to support physical health; member numbers continued to rise. By 2016, DGR’s mission spread to include men’s mental health following the suicide of a fellow rider.

Tyler resident Pedro Tamez learned about the event from a local motorcycle rider who had participated in a DGR event in another large metropolitan area.

“I wanted to sign up to ride in the 2021 event but did not see the option to participate in Tyler, so I reached out to the global organizers and asked what we needed to do to have an official DGR event locally,” said Tamez. “They eventually replied that they thought it would be good to have an official Tyler DGR event. They asked if I would be interested in becoming the host, and I gladly accepted.”

“I also have three co-hosts — Baron Riddle, Ed Bandas, and Forres Kaiser; without their help, the Tyler DGR would not be what it is today,” he said.

Tamez said mental health issues are on the rise and among men have become a major concern, with 80% of suicides being men.

“We lose over 500,000 men to suicide every year globally; that’s one man every minute, every day. Hitting closer to home; Texas ranks as having the worst access to mental health care in the country,” he said. “In Northeast Texas, the suicide rate is higher than the state average. Smith County has the highest suicide rate among Texas’s 25 most populous counties. It’s not an issue in some far-off place, it’s an urgent and serious issue right here in our community.”

Over the weekend, 60 riders in Tyler donned their most dapper attire and displayed their classic motorcycles for the global event raising $26,086. Since its inception in 2021, the Tyler Chapter has raised over $77,000 and included 165 participants.

Funds raised by The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride are invested in men’s health initiatives around the world through its official charity partner, Movember.

Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men’s health on a global scale. Since partnering with Movember in 2016, DGR has invested over $35 million into cutting-edge research for prostate cancer tests and treatments, initiatives that improve the quality of life for men living with the disease, and innovative men’s mental health projects.

The ride begins and ends at 1836 Texas Kitchen, the chapter’s main sponsor. Riders do a mid-ride regroup at the Tyler Downtown Square to let bikes cool down, get photography and videography with the cool backdrop that the square offers, and socialize for a while.

Tamez said the riders in the Tyler Chapter about the well-being of men in the East Texas community.

“The motorcycle riders that participate are passionate about the well-being of men in the East Texas community and enjoy having a chance to show their passion for motorcycles as a vehicle of change for the two leading causes of death for men worldwide,” he said. “We want to see the Tyler DGR grow in participants year after year to be a leader amongst the over 890 cities around the globe that participate not only in funds raised but also in the number of motorcycles and riders.”

“Next spring we hope to see more participants and more spectators at 1836 Texas Kitchen for the 2024 Tyler Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride,” Tamez added.

To date, the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride takes place in 121 countries with 340,000 riders and has raised 37.5 million for men’s health. The global event takes place on the third Sunday in May every year.

For more information, visit the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Facebook page.