How the Cow Got Its Spots – The Story of The CowaLUNGa Bike Tour
May 20, 2026
RHA CEO John Kirkwood and the staff had decided to change the annual bike event from a seven day ride to three. They determined a shorter ride would be a better financial model. There also was a desire to connect the ride with Camp Action in Hubertus, WI.
With the new name and distance chosen, they wanted to establish a Wisconsin-forward brand. In fact, everything was decorated with cows – rest stops, SAG vehicles, and merchandise. Of the three of them, Susie had the most knowledge about Wisconsin. Her family spent time over the years in Lake Geneva, WI. Previously, Susie had also managed the Lake Tour Bike Trek for the ALA of McHenry County, another bike tour that traveled through southeast Wisconsin.
Rob Burns recalls the ways in which the RHA team transitioned fundraising from the BAMMI ride to CowaLUNGa. Sargento, Matt’s Cookies, Hinckley and Schmidt, and New Glarus were consistent, early sponsors of the bike ride. There were multiple sponsorship and fundraising tiers with prizes depending on how much money a rider was able to fundraise.
The route was purposefully mapped to end on the last day at Camp Action, a summer camp for kids with asthma. The kids loved Todd in his Cow suit, and he remembers “feeling like a superstar.”
The ride was rustic. The Day 1 finish line stop at Conference Point Center had no A/C in the rooms. Some riders camped while others preferred to sleep indoors. The Day 2 finish line party at UW Whitewater was a tent in a parking lot with a DJ. You just hoped the mosquitos weren’t too bad.
Todd recalls brainstorming ways to make the event fun for everyone. He made an effort to get to know the volunteers and the riders. He would try to get them to laugh and make sure they were having a good time.
This was a formative time in Todd, Rob, and Susie’s life, as many of the RHA staff were in their 20’s. Todd remembers a fun office environment, and a lot of trust and camaraderie among coworkers who were open to new ideas.
“The whole office collaborated on the new Cow event, everyone was always ready to help,” Susie remembers.
“We exceeded our budgeted goal in Year 1 of Cow by 150% from the last BAMMI ride,” Susie said.
“There is something about creating something from scratch, that raises money that impacts people for a long time. The ride brought people together,” Rob recalls.