Father and Daughter Ride the 2024 Challenge

In 2010 Alex Sweeney (Rider #88) rode the Hoka Hey Challenge. This year, Alex returns with his daughter Alexandria (Rider #1236) and they will ride together as a Father-Daughter team for the charitable benefit of the Haven House in Homer Alaska where they live. The Haven House provides physical, emotional and spiritual support to homeless children and families. Please consider donating to The Haven House.   Alexandria also rides to honor her late friend, Tia Erica Walli, who was an Organ donor, and to raise awareness of the life-saving gifts you can potentially give when you become a Registered  Donor.

Meet The New Rider # 1124 Paul Tong

 My name is Paul Tong and I was born and raised in Irving, TX. I went to Texas A&M University where I was a member of the Corps of Cadets. I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served 13 years with several overseas deployments during Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. After active duty, I joined the Irving Police Department where I have served as a patrol officer, undercover narcotics
investigator, detective sergeant for the domestic violence and child abuse unit, sergeant for the mental
health response unit, and currently serve as a motors sergeant and commercial vehicle enforcement
sergeant. I have known my wife, Tara, since 1994 and we have been married since 2001. We have 3
children, Noelle, Te’a, and Elijah. Noelle is a Navy scholarship cadet at the Virginia Military  Institute and Te’a and Elijah are in high school in Frisco, TX, where we currently reside. 

I bought my first motorcycle in 2011 and have accumulated hundreds of thousands of riding miles since then. I am member of the Iron Butt Association and have been a finisher in the 2015 and 2017 Iron Butt Rallies. I am the rallymaster for the Heart of Texas Rally and the LDX Rally. Brotherhood and family are important; they are the physical and emotional buffers for many things that happen in our lives. Family is there for you in good and bad times and can often be a comforting hand and in some cases, a restraining hand. A person can still be an individual, can be their own person, but can still be a part of something bigger than themselves. I have been a part of several families: my A&M Cadet Corps family, my Marine Corps family, my police family, and my motorcycle family. I know the Hoka Hey community is just another family of like-minded individuals. Many are veterans and all love a lifestyle which is heavily centered around motorcycles. We discover much about ourselves, our purpose in the world, and what path in life we should follow by experiencing the trials and challenges we face in life. The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge is a wonderful and very unique example of a physical and spiritual challenge encompassed by a large family of like-minded people that support and celebrate each other’s journeys. I want to ride in the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge because I want to experience the personal challenge of the ride, to discover more about myself, and to be a part of another family of people who love motorcycles like me.

There are two non-profits very close to my heart who I will be supporting equally. The first is the Irving
Police and Fire Blue Christmas Program. For over 40 years, thousands of families in need have received a Merry Christmas from Blue Christmas in the form of toys and groceries. Donations help maintain
operations, provide needed supplies, and purchase food items to help families during the Christmas
holidays who already suffer from food insecurity. 

 The second is Many Helping Hands, a homeless outreach group who provides Irving’s homeless with clothing, hygiene items, food, fellowship, and prayer. Donations help support services to include haircuts, counseling, medical visits, employment search assistance, and rehousing assistance. I have volunteered countless hours with both organizations over the decade and believe in their missions and the hope they provide for our community.