For five years, Marie Nobles has played a large part in organizing the Rex Gill Memorial event, a charity motorcycle ride in Penticton that honours the legacy of her late son.
It returned on Saturday morning, Sept. 23, and included moments like this that remind her why she continues to do it:
Nobles watched as more than a dozen riders pulled into the Tim Horton91裸聊视频檚 parking lot on Westminster Avenue, with a rider named Shayne among those to make a surprise appearance. He91裸聊视频檚 someone who Nobles hadn91裸聊视频檛 seen for years, but also one of Gill91裸聊视频檚 best friends growing up.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e here for Rex,91裸聊视频� said an emotional Nobles, looking upon all the people waiting to start the journey down Highway 97 to Osoyoos, in honour of the Penticton man who was murdered outside a Kamloops motel in January 2019. He was 41.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 just really grateful for everyone coming91裸聊视频t may not be the nicest day out, but everyone is going to ride anyway because Rex would. He would ride in ice and snow and he wouldn91裸聊视频檛 care, as long as he was on his bike, he was happy.91裸聊视频�
Gill was known as a caring, charitable man, with many friends across B.C.
Not long before his death, Gill would organize charity rides himself across the Okanagan. He wanted to raise money for the homeless, with the Kelowna Gospel Mission among his causes of choice.
That same charity, along with the Penticton Alliance Church food bank, will be on the receiving end of funds yet again thanks to Saturday91裸聊视频檚 ride in the South Okanagan.
More than 12 riders started the journey just after 10 a.m. The group planned on heading toward Anarchist Mountain before stopping at the Okanagan Falls Hotel for lunch on their way back from Osoyoos when returning home.
Saturday91裸聊视频檚 event also honours the legacy of Mike Courtenay, another one of Gill91裸聊视频檚 good friends and someone who helped him with the first few charity rides across the region.
Courtenay died in 2020.
91裸聊视频淪ome are here for Rex, and some are here for Mike,91裸聊视频� Nobles said. 91裸聊视频淚f you91裸聊视频檙e like me, you91裸聊视频檙e here for both.91裸聊视频�
The riders91裸聊视频� starting point of the Penticton Tim Horton91裸聊视频檚 wasn91裸聊视频檛 selected without good reason.
Nobles says she still remembers her son riding into the restaurant91裸聊视频檚 parking lot, waiting for his mom to meet him.
91裸聊视频�(The owner) still remembers Rex, and she told us we could start the ride here,91裸聊视频� Nobles recalled.
91裸聊视频�(Rex) touched a lot of people91裸聊视频檚 lives,91裸聊视频� Nobles said. 91裸聊视频淗e was a big loss.91裸聊视频�
The murder of Gill remains unsolved and police believe it was a case of mistaken identity.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e still grieving because she has been no closure,91裸聊视频� Nobles said.
In past years, the charity event has raised around $2,500 for local causes.
A pair of 50/50 draws headline fundraising events this year, with donations set to be collected at the Okanagan Falls Hotel and tallied through the weekend.
