Employees of BMW of North America, L.L.C. welcomed Dr. Hans-Henning Buetzow to BMW’s corporate headquarters on Friday and gave him an official send-off for his Ride of Smiles charity motorcycle ride. The ride will cover 50,000 miles and is expected to raise 50,000 euros for children in need throughout the world.
Dr. Buetzow will complete his Ride of Smiles journey aboard a BMW R 1200 GS Adventure motorcycle. His route, which will trace a symbolic 50 on the world map, will take him across North, Central and South America, as well as Australia and New Zealand. His goal is to raise at least 50,000 euros for four charitable organizations: Doctors Without Borders, Christian Blind Mission, United for Africa, and Sternstunden, the Bavarian TV and Radio Broadcast.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Buetzow to BMW today to give him a proper send-off on his long and ambitious journey,” commented Kris Odwarka, Vice President, BMW Motorrad USA. “I am confident that the bike is up to the task; and I’m sure Hans is too, judging from his previous adventures!”
Odwarka thanked BMW employees who rode their motorcycles to work in a show of support for Dr. Buetzow. “Imagine your commute times 1,000, and you can understand what Hans-Henning is about to do. We wish him a safe and prosperous journey.
A resident of Heidelberg, Dr. Buetzow is an experienced and enthusiastic motorcycle tourist, who has been traveling the world on two wheels since 1989. Impressed by the enormous hospitality and joy of life shown by the people he meets on his travels, he was inspired to give back to those less fortunate through his Ride of Smiles.
Donations can be made directly to the four charities or via the Ride of Smiles website. For more information, visit ride-of-smiles.de.
