Army veterans plan 10,000-mile motorcycle challenge to support Native communities

Army veterans Randy Merrill and Brian Cassidy will ride nearly 10,000 miles in the 2026 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge to raise $10,000 for the Association on American Indian Affairs, according to Native News Online. The pair are also fundraising another $10,000 to cover travel costs such as fuel, equipment and daily essentials.

Merrill and Cassidy said the journey is both a fundraiser and a path to healing. “PTSD and pain followed us home. But we refuse to be defined by the damage,” they wrote in a joint statement. Shannon O’Loughlin, CEO of the association and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, was quoted as saying the ride is “about healing, service, and standing in solidarity with Native Peoples.” Supporters can follow the riders and contribute at indian-affairs.org/hokaheymotorcyclechallenge, according to Native News Online.