By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Kahuulani and Kekoa Baox of Venice, Florida, were in Marion County last week as part of a 5,000-mile e-bike ride to raise awareness and donations for three organizations.

Their “awareness by the mile” ride began 13 months ago outside Ashland and has taken them on a meandering route through southwest Kansas, eastern Colorado, Wyoming (where bad weather prompted them to re-route), Missouri, and back into Kansas. It will also take them through the Oklahoma panhandle.

Unless plans change, the trip will end in Tennessee.

Plans already changed once, when Kahuulani’s finger was burned badly enough in Missouri to require surgery and needed time to heal.

It is the father and son’s second e-bike ride to raise money for American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s Association, and the Wounded Warrior Project.

“In 2021 we did our first e-bike tour of 2,000 miles from Alabama to Kansas,” Kekoa posted on the pair’s YouTube channel.

The two don’t accept donations along the way. Instead, they refer people to information and donation forms on the organizations’ websites.

As they travel, they stop at local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts.

Canton’s Legion post gave them a license plate bearing logos of associated groups.

Kahuulani has a special love for military organizations. His father and grandfather served in the military. A member of Sons of the American Legion, Kahuulani knows the organizations help former service members.

Kahuulani thought he could use a different kind of help when they started their voyage.

“There were many times in the first five weeks I wanted to say, ‘I’m done,’” he said.

Their red e-bikes were donated by manufacturer Troxus. The company updated the bikes with its newest model during the trip. It was the fourth time Troxus has updated bikes for them.

They wear helmets that allow them to communicate without walkie-talkies.

“We started our second 5,000-mile e-bike tour, again for the American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s Association, and the Wounded Warrior Project, to raise awareness and funds,” Kekoa posted at youtube.com/@Awarenessbythemile. My dad was injured and needed surgery, but he has recovered, and we are once again back on the road and will be posting videos of this adventure once again.”