Motorcycle enthusiasts will have a chance to go hog wild for a good cause later this month.
    On June 22, the fifth annual Rurals Chapters Ride for Dad will be riding through Drumheller and will make a stop at Westergard Ford.
    “The riders will be rolling into Drumheller and stopping at Westergard Ford for lunch for about an hour. This is a perfect time to take photographs and to talk with the riders about why they are doing this,” said Dean Harper, media relations for the ride.
    The ride aims to raise funds to combat and bring awareness to prostate cancer, one of the most deadly, but preventable, diseases in men.
    “The money the riders collect goes towards research and awareness. A lot of these guys have a direct link to prostate cancer. I lost my grandfather to prostate cancer,” said Harper.
    “It is the most survivable disease with early detection, but the thing is, men don’t want to go to the doctor unless our wives, moms, or girlfriends are dragging us. Take that three to four seconds and be done with it. You’re not only saving your life, you’re saving your family. It affects everyone.”
    In five years, the ride has raised over $500,000 across the province.
    The ride will also be a chance for motorcycle lovers to speak with fellow enthusiasts. It is expected 75 to 150 riders will attend, depending on the weather.
    “We have such a diverse mix of bikes and riders. Everything from scooters to trikes, from 16-year-olds to 60 year olds. It’s a really good mix of people riding with one goal in place; get awareness out about this terrible disease and save men’s lives,” said Harper.
    After they leave Drumheller, via North Dinosaur Trail, the riders will head to Didsbury for dinner and a concert with Juno Award winner Clayton Bellamy.
    “Anyone who wants to learn more about prostate cancer or talk about bikes is more than welcome to stop by,” said Harper. “If you see the bikes going by, wave. You’d be surprised how far that wave goes for the rider.”

    The world has never been more connected. In an instant, a picture can be taken and emailed to others. While certainly there are advantages, there is a darker side.
    Parents and teens all over Canada, including Drumheller, are being taught how to be safe using the latest social technology, especially in regards to sexting, where people send pictures or messages of a sexual nature to one another.
    inSide Drumheller spoke with the Drumheller RCMP and local schools to find out what is being done locally about sexting.
    The RCMP host presentations throughout the year to teach students and parents about the dangers of an increasingly digital world.
    “A lot of the students have been spoken to in a number of different ways. Any incident that comes too close to it that we hear of, we discuss with the kids,” said Staff Sergeant Art Hopkins. “A lot of it is not done with the intent to traffic pornography, the kids may not understand what they are doing. That picture could come back to haunt them many years after the fact.”
    The RCMP have hosted sessions for both junior and senior high students.
    “They’re great presentations, because they talk about everything. Nothing is taboo, which is great. The kids are talking about it anyway, so to hide it from them won’t make it go away,” said Amber Channell, Family School Liaison Worker for St. Anthony’s School.
    At Drumheller Valley Secondary School, the “No Regrets” campaign has touched upon sexting.
    “We spend a lot of time and energy teaching our students about using digital devices responsibly. We have addressed the issues of texting, appropriate use of texting, and sexting.We just finished a year-and-a-half campaign, our No Regrets campaign, which didn’t deal with sexting specifically, but talked about healthy relationships and how to identify a relationship when it’s not healthy,” said principal Curtis LaPierre.
    Teachers are also ready to help students one-on-one should issues arise.
    “After these presentations, I had students come in being upset and admitting they had sent pictures of themselves. They began to realize the dangers of some of the things they had done,” said Channell.
    However, both the schools and RCMP agree, if sexting is to stop, parents must get involved.
    “With anything that impacts the lives of students, especially in a negative way, schools get involved. If we find issues like that, we always call the parents and inform them of what is going on,” said LaPierre.
    “There have been a small number of issues at this time. I think it’s very important for parents to monitor what their child is doing with their digital devices and some parameters be put in place. If they’re using their phones in an inappropriate way, maybe it’s time to remove that privilege.”
    A proactive approach, it is suggested, is for parents to speak with their children about sexting.
    “There is education being done, but parents need to talk to their kids about their phones and the consequences of what they send,” said Hopkins.
    The best approach, LaPierre suggests, is to tackle the issue head on.
    “Don’t beat around the bush, get right to the point, and put everything on the table. I’ve found kids appreciate that approach more. It’s amazing what kids will take ownership of with direct communication and if there’s been an issue, generally they will tell you,” said LaPierre.