Dear Sandbox Riders, Families, and Friends,
As we start November, I hope everyone had a great October and a fun Halloween. The holidays are just around the corner, and then it’s 2026 and almost May! Planning continues to go smoothly for Sandbox. All of our supporters are anticipating our return next year, and we’re looking forward to visiting those places that make our mission what it is.
I had the opportunity to speak with your leaders at the end of October. Almost all of them are returning to the same positions they held last year, and I can assure you that Polar Bear and I have the utmost confidence in their ability to accomplish the mission professionally and efficiently. They will take care of you, regardless of where you’re riding, and make sure any problems are quickly resolved at the lowest level.
Registration
As we progress through the year, our numbers continue to grow. I’d like to ask that you register as early as possible so we can track the number of riders we’re asking our supporters to accommodate. Additionally, the earlier you register, the sooner we can assign you to a team or platoon leader who can begin discussing individual preparation and what you need to be successful. If you have a friend or two that you’d like to ride with, once assigned to a platoon, you can ask to be in the same platoon. Early registration helps coordinate this.
Although our numbers are slightly down from previous years, we’re picking up lots of riders who are new to Sandbox. Some of these are new to RFTW, while some are experienced riders from the Coast-to-Coast Routes who want to experience Sandbox for themselves. We welcome all riders and supporters to our family and look forward to making this year’s Run a memorable and enjoyable experience for everybody.
A Run From The Run
One of the things we talk about on RFTW is “Runs To The Run” and “Runs From The Run.” Although these events are not sanctioned by RFTW, they are comprised of like-minded individuals who want to travel together en route either to or from the Run.
To facilitate your planning, I’d like to talk about one of these Runs From The Run, which will happen directly after Sandbox is Mission Complete at the
Wall in Marseilles. On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, our Outreach Coordinator, Taz, will lead a group from the Host Hotel in Ottawa, IL, about 300 miles south to Perryville, MO where they will visit the Missouri National Veterans Memorial (MNVM), spend the night, and then riders are welcome to continue on in smaller groups, whichever direction you’re heading. For more information, look for Taz’s post in the Sandbox Discussion of the RFTW Forum and the MNVM’s website at https://mnvmfund.org/.
The RFTW Forum is also an excellent source of information for any questions relating to the Run. There are a variety of helpful topics and an opportunity to ask questions and interact with other riders throughout the year. The Forum can be found under the “Connect” tab on the RFTW website.
Email Spoofing
Please be aware that some bad actors have begun spoofing RFTW Leadership emails to some participants. These emails generally ask the recipient to click on an executable file or request payment, promising reimbursement. The best way to identify these fake emails is to look at the sender’s email address. If it didn’t come from an @rftw.us address, don’t reply, and for Gmail, click on the option to “Report Spam.” Our Secretary of the Board will receive the report and take necessary actions. If you’re not using Gmail or are unsure, just forward the email to secretary@rftw.us, and he will take care of it.
Fundraising
We’re still looking for collectible, unique items that we can use to help us raise funds to support our mission. If you know of anybody who might be able to donate such items, please let them know it would be very much appreciated and help us make donations of our own to our supporters and other worthwhile charitable organizations we encounter along the way. Once we get items together, we’ll decide how they can best support us and figure out a way to offer them to our riders through auctions and drawings. All of this fundraising allows us to operate Sandbox Route and keep costs down.
Let’s continue to work on our personal preparations to get ready to complete the Run in May. This includes (among many other things) motorcycle maintenance, mental and physical conditioning, and having a system for packing and unpacking your motorcycle repeatedly, day after day. The more you practice, the easier it will become, which can reduce or eliminate any stress you may feel in anticipation of this amazing and demanding experience.
Again, I look forward to meeting you all next year and working with you to make the 5th running of Sandbox Route a resounding success!
Leo “Clutch” Rachmel
Run For The Wall XXXVI
Sandbox Route Coordinator
Due to circumstances beyond our control, Midway Route Photos from previous runs are no longer available. 