HOUSTON – When Scott “Sugar Bear” Brown returned from Iraq after supporting U.S. military operations following 9/11, he hoped to spend time with his father.
Instead, he faced a heartbreaking reality: His father, who was dying from Alzheimer’s disease, no longer recognized him.
Years later, Brown watched the disease take his aunt, his mother’s twin sister, as well.
Those experiences stayed with him — and eventually became part of the reason he took on one of North America’s most demanding motorcycle endurance challenges.
Brown recently returned to Katy after taking part in the 2026 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, 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.
For Brown, the ride was a way to honor his father and aunt while raising awareness and money for the Alzheimer’s Association through its Do What You Love to End ALZ program.
The journey didn’t go exactly as planned. After riding from Woodstock, Illinois, to Warwick, Rhode Island, Brown’s motorcycle suffered a mechanical failure that ended his official challenge. But he wasn’t 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.
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’s mission, click here to donate.
Now back home, Brown can look at the miles behind him — but the people who inspired the journey remain at the heart of the story.
You can follow Brown’s current and past rides at youtube.com/@sugarbearsadventures.
For more information about the ‘Do What You Love to End ALZ’ program, visit events.alz.org/event/dowhatyoulove/home.
Watch the video above if you’re curious to learn more about his journey and why he was nicknamed ‘Sugar Bear.’