David Zell ’05 and senior Jason Pressberg cycled across the country last summer as part of the Journey of Hope tour to raise money for people with disabilities. The trip was organized by Push America, the national philanthropy of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, to which both Zell and Pressberg belong.
Zell (at left in the photo) rode from Oregon to Washington, D.C., while Pressberg’s group departed from San Francisco. The two fraternity brothers met at Mile High Stadium in Denver before arriving in Washington, D.C. in mid-August.
“It was great to be part of a team that was working for a great cause, bonding with people from my fraternity and serving people with disabilities,” says Zell. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The memories will always stick with me.”
“I truly wanted to make a difference,” says Pressberg. “Every day was a new adventure. A lot of times it was exhilarating and other times it was extremely challenging.”
The riders logged up to 75 miles a day and also spent time with adults and children with disabilities, stopping in various cities along the route to play wheelchair basketball or share a meal. All riders had to raise a minimum of $5,000 to participate.
Zell said the conditions were often less than ideal. “We were snowed on, hailed on and dealt with freezing rain and temperatures of 106 degrees in Kansas and Missouri. But it was fantastic.”
Zell teaches literacy in West Palm Beach, Fla., as part of a one-year commitment with AmeriCorps.