HOUSTON \u2013 When Scott \u201cSugar Bear\u201d Brown returned from Iraq after supporting U.S. military operations following 9\/11, he hoped to spend time with his father.<\/p>\n
Instead, he faced a heartbreaking reality: His father, who was dying from Alzheimer\u2019s disease, no longer recognized him.<\/p>\n
Scott “Sugar Bear” Brown’s father (Scott Brown)<\/p>\n
Years later, Brown watched the disease take his aunt, his mother\u2019s twin sister, as well.<\/p>\n
Scott “Sugar Bear” Brown’s aunt and uncle (Scott Brown)<\/p>\n
Those experiences stayed with him \u2014 and eventually became part of the reason he took on one of North America\u2019s most demanding motorcycle endurance challenges.<\/p>\n
Brown recently returned to Katy after taking part in the 2026 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge<\/a>, an approximately 11,000-mile ride across North America. The invitation-only challenge requires riders to navigate without GPS, hotels or support crews, relying on paper maps and their own ability to keep going.<\/p>\n Scott “Sugar Bear” Brown rides at the 2024 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge (Scott Brown)<\/p>\n For Brown, the ride was a way to honor his father and aunt while raising awareness and money for the Alzheimer\u2019s Association through its Do What You Love to End ALZ program<\/a>.<\/p>\n The journey didn\u2019t go exactly as planned. After riding from Woodstock, Illinois, to Warwick, Rhode Island, Brown\u2019s motorcycle suffered a mechanical failure that ended his official challenge. But he wasn\u2019t ready to stop riding. He got another motorcycle, completed a 1,000-mile break-in ride to Maine and eventually made his way back to Texas, returning home Aug. 15.<\/p>\n Scott “Sugar Bear” Brown rides his new motorcycle after completing his run at the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. (Scott Brown)<\/p>\n Along the way, Brown continued riding for the cause that made the journey so personal. He raised $3,252, surpassing his $3,000 fundraising goal. The fundraiser is still open. If you like to support brown\u2019s mission, click here to donate<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now back home, Brown can look at the miles behind him \u2014 but the people who inspired the journey remain at the heart of the story.<\/p>\n You can follow Brown\u2019s current and past rides at youtube.com\/@sugarbearsadventures<\/a>.<\/p>\n