Greetings Sandbox Family! We can start the countdown to May by DAYS now! We are that close!
Motorcycle and Physical Readiness
If you have not already, please attend to the mechanical readiness of both your bike and your body. Your bike needs a good once over, advisable before any long trip – and this is especially important for Sandbox because we are riding over Sunday and Memorial Day and there will be little to no maintenance support during our three days on the road (nothing is open until Tuesday)! So in the event of a breakdown, our chase vehicle can trailer you to the next overnight stop, but do not have any expectation of getting parts or service along the way. Nothing is open – it is one of the costs of riding over the holiday – it is what it is. So PLEASE pre-check your tire tread depth, electrical system and battery strength, oil level, lights, kickstands, and controls. Carry an extra key (and battery if using a fob), and be mindful of where you store the spare. Things do get lost on a long trip, including your keys, so having a spare can save the day. Lastly, check your comms, especially if you are in Leadership.
As for you, get your body and mind “ride-ready”. If you haven’t ridden any distance for awhile, take some long rides on the weekend to get your saddle back. Start hydrating now, fuel your body with good nutrients, and get plenty of rest. Our days start early and go long, and you’ll want your body to go the distance.
Pre-Paid Fuel
The pre-paid option for fuel was detailed in my March newsletter, and you can find that on the SandBox Route Hub, but it doesn’t hurt to go over it again. I strongly suggest you take care of this ASAP for another two more good reasons that I didn’t mention in March: 1) Pick-up your registration packet and GO without having to stand in yet another line to pre-pay for fuel. The check-in process for Sandbox takes place in both Ontario AND Washington DC. Anyone who is familiar with the check-in process in Ontario is familiar with both the reunion aspect (FUN!) and also the controlled chaos of many excited Riders packed into one room. You don’t want to be stuck standing in line when there are folks to greet and fam to hug! 2) Get your fuel paid for and out of the way, before all the other costs associated with cross-country riding start hitting your bank account. Sweet!
As previously detailed, you can pay $60 for the pre-paid fuel at the Sandbox Route Hub, at the Sandbox Route Donation link. Or you can open your Zelle app, and send $60 to Sandbox.Route@rftw.us. Please be sure to annotate what the payment is for in the memo line such as Prepaid Fuel.
An important point for emphasis: arrive at morning standing with a FULL TANK! Please fuel up every evening no matter what. We do NOT have any donated fuel stops on Sandbox, and the pre-paid fuel amount was kept as low as possible, with the EVENING TOP-OFF RULE in mind:
Riders must fill their motorcycles up each evening on their own before arriving at staging in the morning (PLs will be performing spot checks so please don’t show up with a half-empty tank!). With gas prices fluctuating as much as they have been, we do not have any wiggle room on this.
Itinerary
The official itinerary was published in the Sandbox Route Hub at the beginning of April, and my sincere thanks go to the ARC, Bill “COB” Brehler for his detailed work on the itinerary changes and updates, and to Billie “Bugs” Dunlap for the editorial oversight and publishing of the booklet. Please be aware that RFTW is no longer printing copies of the itinerary booklet, and it is only provided in a digital format which you can download to any PDF or book reader on your phone, or print a hard copy. However, I suggest you hold off on downloading or printing the itinerary until May. That’s because as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, there will be tweaks and changes between now and then! Guaranteed! So don’t frustrate yourself by printing too early and either riding off with an outdated version, or needing to reprint.
During the Wall2Wall Run itself, please keep your digital or printed copy handy and refer to it often! And here’s a tip for you from the RC of Central Route, Nick “Rich Boy” Hentges: “DO NOT ask questions of anybody where the answer is in the Itinerary (do not ask, for example, when are we leaving? Or what is our next stop?)!!”
* Please see the instructions for printing the itinerary booklet that were written by Kirk “Pretty Boy” Olson, the ARC of Central Route, as I reproduced them at the bottom of this newsletter.
Meeting Schedule at Host Hotel in DC
There is a lot packed into Saturday after the EOM (End of Mission) of the other three Routes, so please be aware of the mandatory meeting schedule for Sandbox Riders on Saturday, May 25, 2024, and plan your day accordingly..
9:00-10:15am & 1:00-4:00pm Check-in
2:00-3:30pm Leadership Equipment Pick-Up
2:30-3:00pm Road Guard Meeting
3:00-3:30pm Team Leads Meeting
3:30-4:30pm All Leadership Meeting
4:30-5:30pm All SandBox Riders Meeting
5:30-6:00pm FNG Recap
Leadership Support Team Members NEEDED!
Y’all, I need your help. We still do not have a 50/50 Rouser and Assistant. These roles are crucial for helping to raise funds during the Run itself. Since we got a late start in December, we have not had a chance to run any fundraisers, and this role cannot go unfilled. It is too important! This is a Leadership Support position, so you would ride in the 6-pack, and report directly to me. It would be helpful if you had prior experience in such a role, so that I can cut you loose to accomplish the job. If you are interested, please fill out a Volunteer Form, and also contact me directly at heidi.hansing@rftw.us.
Critical Info
Our critical info document includes rules and processes to be upheld during the Run, everything from proper check-in, standard of conduct, order of march, service animals, fueling guidelines and procedures, road conditions, etc. Please go over this info HERE.
Furthermore, our Safety Briefing is HERE for detailed instructions on how we ride during the Run itself. Familiarize yourself with the terminology, the procedures, and the expectations therein, please.
Questions and Inquiries
I’ve been getting a lot of questions that I can say would be better directed to the appropriate leadership within the Sandbox Route. The very first place you should look for general Route info is the Sandbox Route Hub. If I haven’t covered it in a newsletter, it’s probably already been answered in the RFTW FAQs or About pages. If you have questions specific to a certain Team, or role/function (like Missing Man, Honor Guard, Outreach, etc.) please go to the Sandbox Route Contacts and find the contact that can directly answer your questions/concerns. Other important contacts are listed on that page: if you are unsure about your Platoon assignment, please reach out to our Platoon Coordinator, Sam “Polar Bear” Warner. If you are an FNG, please contact our FNG Liaison, Bernadette “Flat Tire” Staples. If you have a question/concern about your registration, then our expert on the matter is Shirley “Top Sarge” Scott.
If you ever need to contact me or our ARC, William “COB” Brehler, then email is the best way. Personally, I do not check social media very often (if ever), and will likely NOT see your message if you reach out in an online group, tag me in a comment, or send me a direct message through Messenger or any other messaging app. If there is urgency to your issue, phone calls are OK, but I work two jobs and cannot always answer, so texts are preferable so that I can reply when available. Usually, it is just best to email. Please.
WE RIDE 
FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T
WALL 2 WALL
In gratitude and joy,
Heidi BLUE Hansing
* Instructions for printing the Itinerary booklet:
Save and View PDFs to the Books app on your iPhone or iPad. Use Apple Books to save and view PDFs.
1. On your device, go to the Sandbox Hub to get the itinerary PDF
2. Tap the Share button
3. Swipe left over the app icons and tap Books.
If you can’t see Books, tap the More button. Then tap Books.
Your PDF will open and save automatically in the Books app. You can find it later in the Library tab.
If you own an Android, follow these instructions HERE.
