At last month’s moto party at Overland Expo West, we announced Jess Stone as Overland Expo Foundation’s first Change Your World Travel Grant recipient! 

What is the Change Your World Travel Grant? It is the Overland Expo Foundation’s continuation of the Change Your World Fund, which was started in 2016 by Roseann and Jonathan Hanson. This grant supports travelers who have integrated a stewardship element with their travels, going above and beyond the average trip during an extended, international, overland journey. 

Jess Stone, along with her husband, Greg, and Moxie, their 75-pound German Shepard, is riding around the world. Jess’ motorcycle is a 2013 BMW G650GS outfitted with a K9 Moto Cockpit. “Through my challenges of learning to ride off-road and riding with a big dog on the back of my bike, I hope this world adventure will inspire girls to dream big and persist in achieving their own goals,” says Jess Stone.

Jess’ goal and the purpose of the GoRUFFLY Around the World adventure are to raise $100,000 for the global non-profit Girl Up, an organization founded by the United Nations Foundation to provide leadership and development training to girls in over 120 countries. 

To bring awareness to their cause, they post an episode of their GoRUFFLY Around the World adventure travel series on YouTube each week. Viewers can watch what it is like to travel with a big dog on the back of a motorcycle and all the exciting experiences that go with it. They will also share about their involvement with the Girl Up clubs they visit along the way, and viewers can see the impact of the donations.

So far, Jess, Greg, and Moxie are off to a great start. After 101 days on the road, they have ridden 9,000+ miles from Guatemala (their starting point) to the northwest coast of the United States. And they’ve already raised 10% of their goal! 

Want to learn more? Here are a few ways in which you can help support their goals: 

  • Watch and follow the adventure travel series on YouTube—new episodes air on Sundays at 11 am CT. 
  • Outfit your dog (or your friend’s dog) with RUFFLY dog gear—10% of all gear sales go toward the Girl Up fundraiser. 
  • Donate directly to Girl Up to support their global youth empowerment initiative. 
  • Spread the word about GoRUFFLY and their fundraiser for Girl Up!

We at the Overland Expo Foundation wish you all the best on your travels and can’t wait to see where this journey takes you! Cheers!