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Inkmaster Judge Luke Wessman
I woke up at 6:30am on Sunday morning September 24th 2017 and put my suit on that I had picked out forThe Distinguished Gentlemen’s ride the night before. The meeting place was only a mile down the road from my house at the Movember HQ in Culver City and started at 7am with rumors of there being upwards of 800+ motorcycle riders attending. I pulled in to the large parking lot just a bit early but there was already a few hundred bikers there and bikes pouring in every minute, soon the large lot was just a sea of classic motorcycles and sharp dressed men and women.
The Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride started in 2012 by Mark Hawwa an Australia with a affinity for fine suits and classic motorcycles. The very first DGR in 2012 brought together over 2,500 riders across 64 cities. The success of the event encouraged the founder to consider how it could be used to support a worthy cause. Last years ride in 2016, over 56,000 participants in 505 cities in 90 countries raised over $3.6M (USD) for prostate cancer research & men’s mental health programs in partnership with the Movember Foundation.
I had met Mark Hawwa in Basel Switzerland a few years ago at Basel world where we were both there on behalf of our friends at Zenith watches. I quickly became friends with Mark and was intrigued buy the charity he had put together. It took me a few years to get involved with the ride due to my major spine injury I was dealing with around that time. this this year was extra special for me finally being able to ride in this amazing event.
This ride here in LA had nearly 1000 riders, this year DGR raised almost 5 million dollars for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health programs in partnership with the Movember Foundation.
Thank you to my friends at Zenith watches and Triumph.
*10/5/2016
