Oregon Man Rides for Organ Donation, Eyes World Record

Max Orsini knows firsthand what a second chance feels like because he's received two of them.

The Bend, Oregon resident and two-time organ recipient announced plans to attempt a Guinness World Record next year for the longest motorcycle sidecar trip across Central Oregon. But breaking records isn't really the point. Saving lives is.

Orsini founded Ride Four Life Northwest, a charity dedicated to organ donation awareness. He travels throughout Central Oregon on a Russian motorcycle with an unlikely copilot: Gnocchi, his Italian poodle. Together, they spark conversations about a topic many people avoid until it's too late.

"For me, just the opportunity of sharing my experience with somebody else already fulfilled all my goals," Orsini said. "If I can save one life, that's my goal."

Orsini's employer, Kendal of Bend, honored him at a special event that became a platform for organ recipients and donor families to share their stories. The gathering encouraged attendees to register as organ donors and, just as importantly, to talk with their families about their wishes.

The Ripple Effect

Orsini's mission has already attracted meaningful support. Local businesses including Begoat Energy Drinks, Street Dog Hero, and Cascade Brewing have become sponsors. Cascade Brewing created a special Italian Pizler beer in his honor, with proceeds benefiting Ride Four Life Northwest.

Every conversation Orsini starts, every mile he rides, and every story he shares creates potential for someone else to get the second chance he received twice. Currently, over 100,000 Americans wait for lifesaving organ transplants. About 17 people die each day waiting for an organ that never comes.

But one donor can save up to eight lives and enhance dozens more through tissue donation. That's why Orsini keeps riding, keeps talking, and keeps Gnocchi in that sidecar turning heads and opening hearts.

His world record attempt next year will bring even more attention to a cause that literally gave him his life back twice over.