A popular event that helps cardiac patients in Windsor-Essex get the treatment they need close to home has raised more than $1 million.
The Bob Probert Ride has brought more than 1,300 motorcycle enthusiasts from across Canada and the U.S. together every year for almost a decade. The ninth-annual event hit the milestone this year.
"From our contribution to the angioplasty suite, to exercise equipment at the cardiac wellness gym, and now towards the establishment of a satellite cardiac wellness program in Tecumseh, we are making a huge difference right here in our community," said Dani Probert, the widow of former NHL player Bob Probert.
The expansion to Tecumseh will allow patients to take part in a six-month program close to their home.
Probert died in 2010 of cardiac arrest while boating with his family on Lake St. Clair. An enforcer while playing, Probert was well-known for his hard, physical play and fighting. His family later donated his brain to the Sports Legacy Institute, where it has been used for research on the impact of concussions on athletes.
Probert played for the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks during his professional career.
In 2017, his ashes were spread in the Red Wings penalty box at Joe Louis Arena.
This year's Bob Probert Ride made four stops in Essex County on Sunday. This year, it started at Thunder Road Harley Davidson in Windsor, before making its first stop at The Fort Fun Centre in Amherstburg. After that, it stopped at the Colchester Bar and Grill, the Wolfhead Distillery in McGregor and came to an end at the Ciociaro Club in Tecumseh.
