After seeing the 2001 Sprint/Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America mentioned in a motorcycle magazine, Ron Berg knew it was something he wanted to be a part of. So he bid 305,002 of his Worldperks miles to win a place among the 150 participants.

“Tiring and exhilarating” is how Berg describes the ride. He is generally so busy that he does not have time to use his miles, so this ride presented the perfect opportunity. “It was like going to camp” he says. A trip highlight was making the check donation at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. “You get a sense of why you are doing it,” he comments. Another highlight was when the ride descended on Deal’s Gap, the 11-mile stretch in North Carolina which boasts a whopping 318 turns. “All the riders are pretty skilled,” he adds.

Berg’s winning bid will go to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Berg, who earns 100,000 plus miles a year from flying alone, would not disclose what he would have bid for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But the fact that it was all going to charity mitigated the blow to his balance.