Riding to the Moon (RTTM) was the brainchild of some guys who wanted to take a big motorcycle ride and do some good along the way.
Eventually, Gary Kout and David Baumgarten turned the idea into a real plan—to ride from California to Tierra del Fuego.
Why the name "Riding to the Moon"? Because riding a motorcycle to the tip of South America was like riding to the moon, a bit crazy and unfathomable!
Gary recruited Alex Bisarello, a native of Argentina, and David invited his friend Jim Sowers to join the ride. The group had decided that they wanted the trip to be more than an adventure—to also have a positive purpose.
They decided to dedicate the ride to raising money for Save the Children (STC) which supports children's programs throughout Central and South America. (During the ride the group visited STC centers in Nicaragua and Bolivia).
In addition, David wanted to support the American Cancer Society (ACS). He had recovered from a serious fight with testicular cancer which included chemotherapy and several surgeries.
David's ride demonstrated that people can recover from cancer and lead healthy lives again—and supported the ACS which had helped him during his bout with the disease. He visited cancer wards in several hospitals along the way to encourage the patients.
[Note: David continues to organize fundraising projects for the ACS—read about his latest endeavor at www.concert2cure.org ]
A last minute entry on the RTTM team came in the form of a strapping Canadian named Jason Martin. Jason had read about the planned event on the RTTM website and emailed the team asking to ride along.
Well, we put him through the ringer—asking him for a biography, references, bank accounts, etc. We just wanted to make sure he was reliable, serious, and dedicated. Jason (Jay) turned to be all of those things and more.
He was the best addition we could have asked for—an incredible rider, generous to a fault, a good mechanic, a practical jokester, and he loved helping kids.
So, the five of us set met up in Venice, California in November 1996 and set off for the southernmost city in the world—Ushuaia, Argentina. We traveled about half the distance together—and we all reached the target destination of Ushuaia!
When we organized the trip, we thought that it was a one-time event. But, as soon as we started, we knew we were on to something. The freedom of discovering new places on a motorcycle, the satisfaction of visiting the centers supported by the charities, and the warm spirits of the people we met along the way—this was an addictive way to discover the world.
Africa quickly entered our minds. When Jay stopped to visit Gary and Jim in California on his return ride to Canada, the discussions had already turned to the division of responsibilities on the Africa ride. But, alas, the plans had to be revised as Jay's life ended tragically in June 1997.
After some time for healing and reflection, the idea of riding across Africa was rekindled between Gary, David, and Jim. However, David had taken over his family's business, and he soon realized he would not be able to take the time off to make the trip.
Then, yet again, a Canadian stepped up and asked to be part of the ride—this time it was Stephanie Decurnex. Gary and Jim had heard Jay rave about what a great rider Steph was as well as being incredibly determined. So the team was shaping up!
But, like David, Gary had new responsibilities (as a father and husband) and he realized he would have to put his adventures on hold.
So, the Riding to the Moon team for Cape Town to Cairo took the form of Jim and Steph on motorcycles, Gary and David as our virtual riders on the web, and of course, Jay is always with us in spirit!
