Canadian man riding through 18 countries for charity stops in Phoenix
Sep 18, 2014, 5:00 AM | Updated: 10:55 am
PHOENIX — Garry Kramer hit the road on Aug. 30, taking off from Alberta, Canada. He plans on riding his motorcycle through 18 countries and for more than 14,000 miles.
He has one goal in mind: raising awareness and funds to end multiple sclerosis (MS).
“I am on my way to the south tip of South America,” Kramer said as he arrived in Phoenix on Tuesday. “I have a letter from a young lady in northern Alberta.”
Kramer said he’s delivering it, along with a gift to a person in southern Argentina with MS to try to connect North and South America in the fight against the debilitating disease.
Multiple sclerosis is a condition that attacks the central nervous system. When nerves are damaged or destroyed, it produces a variety of symptoms — including fatigue, numbness or tingling, weakness and dizziness, among others. More serious conditions can lead to seizures and paralysis.
Worldwide, it’s estimated that more than 2.3 million people are affected by MS, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In the U.S, upwards of 400,000 people are believed to be living with the disease.
Kramer’s wife, Esther, was diagnosed with the condition in 2006. Since then, life for the Kramers has drastically changed.
“We are reserve military officers. We used to hike and do active things like that. Now even 10 minutes working in the garden tires her out for the rest of the day,” he said.
Hoping to help people like his own wife battling the condition, Kramer set out on his Amazing Ride for MS. Along the journey, he is making pit stops at MS centers across the U.S.’ West Coast.
Kramer wants his ride to raise awareness and funds for research to one day eradicate the disease. To make the ride possible, he set out on a 2012 single-cylinder Kawasaki KLR650 motorcycle.
“There is no computer on it, so I can rebuild it on the side of the road if I need to.”
He estimated the trip will take him well into the middle of December. While on the trek, Kramer is chronicling his journey online. He has a website and keeps a daily blog with each of his stops. Every 10 minutes, his GPS tracker on his bike uploads his location to the Internet so others can see where in the journey he’s at.
From Arizona, Kramer said he will head to New Mexico and on to Texas, where he plans on crossing the border into Mexico and down to South America until he reaches the southern tip of Argentina.
To follow Kramer on his ride or to donate to his cause, visit the Amazing Ride for MS website.