Ride for Sight: Bringing Hope through a Passion for Riding

It all began in 1979. A small group of riders road through the summer afternoon, miles of highway stretched ahead. Just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, one of the riders, Jack, started to lose his bearings when he felt dimness quickly close around the road ahead.

Noticing something was wrong, Jack’s buddies moved into a close formation around his bike and used their high beams to illuminate the road home.

When they reached their destination, Jack parked his bike for the last time. Soon after, he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa — one of the many blinding eye diseases that affect millions of Canadians today.

This wasn’t the end of the group’s passion for riding. In hopes of finding a cure for their friend, Jack’s pals created what would become the longest-running charity motorcycle ride in the country — Ride for Sight.

That was nearly half a century ago, as the 46th annual Ride for Sight in Ontario took take place on the weekend of Friday, August 9, 2024, in Fenlon Falls.

Those who’ve joined the ride are dedicated to it.

“No other motorcyclist driven fundraising campaign compares to Ride for Sight,” says Donna Skinner, Chair of Ride for Sight in Ontario. “It’s more than a motorcycle ride for a good cause; it’s unique in its longevity alone, but more importantly Ontario riders and friends have directed millions of dollars to essential vision research.”

“Riders can be proud of the incredible contribution they have made over the past 45 years” says Brenda Dainard, National Project Manager, Ride for Sight. “In the early years, so little was known about the blinding diseases that affect so many. Today, exciting things are happening in the world of vision research  — treatments are being developed, and in some cases, sight has even been restored.”

Since its inception, Ride for Sight has raised more than $25 million for Fighting Blindness Canada.

Visit RideForSight.com to learn how you can donate to this year’s ride.