Elon juniors Brian O’Shea and Bryan Scherich received a warm welcome Monday, Aug. 11 as they cycled through High Point, N.C., nearing the home stretch of their 3,900-mile cross-country bicycle ride. Details...
The fraternity brothers are participants in the Journey of Hope, a ride sponsored by Push America, Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity’s national philanthropy organization. The ride helps raise money and awareness on behalf of people with disabilities. The men are part of a 35-member team that began its ride in San Francisco in mid-June, and will finish Aug. 16 in Washington, D.C.
O’Shea, left, and Scherich were greeted in High Point by a group of faculty, staff and student supporters from Elon, as well as a crowd from ARC of High Point, an advocacy group for people with disabilities. “The riding gets tough some days, but at the end of the day you get to meet people like this and it makes it worth it,” Scherich said.
Also present for the group’s arrival was a representative from the office of High Point Mayor Arnold J. Koonce, Jr., who declared Monday Push America Day in the city.
Fellow Pi Kappa Phi members Jon Williams and Zach Lauritzen are also taking part in the trip as part of the journey’s other 35-member team, which passed through Ohio on Monday. All four contributed about $5,000 each to Journey of Hope, which will raise around $500,000 total.
O’Shea says the trip has been a learning experience. “I can’t believe it’s (almost) over,” he said. “I’ve learned so much. There’s no way I could put everything into words, it’s just been great.”