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The Distinguished Gentleman's Drive returns Sept. 27 with over 50 Calgary drivers raising funds for men's health, having already raised more than $125,000 since 2021.
The Distinguished Gentleman's Drive, the world's largest on-road charity event for classic cars and men's health, will take place on Sept. 27 in countries worldwide. In Calgary, the local chapter has raised over $125,000 since its founding in 2021, making it the fourth highest fundraising city globally. More than 50 drivers have registered for the 2026 drive, up from the typical 30.
Calgary Chapter a Global Flagship
The Calgary chapter got its start in 2021 and is regularly recognised as a global flagship event. Drive captain Liam Rathgeber says the city is presently the fourth highest fundraising city in the world. Participants fundraise individually through sponsors with a goal of helping men's health issues including mental health, suicide prevention and prostate cancer research.
Rathgeber says the way the event is run now is that all funds raised around the world go into a central pot and then are divvied up to wherever the money can do the most good. It turns out that in large part, that is Western Canada and Alberta in particular. As of last year, every dollar raised in Canada equals about $1.10 to $1.15 coming back into local markets.
Driving Classic Cars for Men's Health
What Rathgeber loves most about the event is that it takes these cars and actually goes out and drives them. It is not for cars being in the garage, nor a parking lot show where everyone puts their hood up and plunks down their folding chair. Drivers actually drive the cars out through the foothills, see the beautiful countryside fall colors and enjoy them the way they were meant to be enjoyed.
Liam and his brother Zac are both driving vehicles their late father Bill owned, continuing their dad's legacy. Bill started the Distinguished Gentleman's Drive chapter in southern Alberta. Gordon Diplock has been part of the drive since its beginning and remembers Bill bouncing the idea off him. On a Friday at the Legion, Bill said Distinguished Gentleman's Drive and Diplock asked who could go in on that and what it was all about. Bill told him and this is now his sixth year. Diplock thinks it is fantastic and gives them a chance to show off their cars.
Legacy of Bill Rathgeber
Liam says his dad liked to drive all the vehicles he collected, rather than have them just parked in a garage looking pretty. Bill always said that if you are not using them to make people happy, then you should not have them. That is why when Liam is at a car show and everyone else is saying to take a picture but stand 10 feet away, he is the one saying that it is a Rolls-Royce, it is all about comfort, and you should get in.
Zac Rathgeber says he enjoys driving his 1954 Mercury M100 every chance he gets with his family. He is not one to go to car shows and sit next to his truck; he prefers to be in the driver's seat waving to people from the road. He has two little girls who are always in the passenger seat with him, as well as his wife, and they are cramming into this three-seat truck and feel like they are in a parade everywhere they go.
Event Details and Route
The vehicles have to be 40 years or older and Sunday's route is not advertised to prevent unregistered vehicles from joining in. If people do want to see the cars, the best bet would be at one of the roadside pull outs on the road out to the Sheep River Trailhead (secondary highway 546) west of Diamond Valley between noon and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27.
The Distinguished Gentleman's Drive brings together classic cars and dapper style while raising funds for men's health. Every year car lovers from close to 215 nations gather on Sept. 27 in their respective countries to drive their cars for a good cause. To learn more about the drive and how to donate, visit https://gentlemansdrive.com/events/canada/calgary.
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