Members of the Journey of Hope cross-country bicycle team speak with some of the disabled Socorro residents who came to meet them at Parkview Elementary School. The students stopped in Socorro on their cycling trek to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness with the public about people with disabilities.
The group of college students, one of three cross-country teams participating in the Journey of Hope, spent time in Socorro entertaining and educating local children on the various disabilities experienced by many Americans.
The riders were all members of the fraternity Pi Kappa Phi.
Brian McDonald, team spokesman, said fraternity chapters at 32 universities are involved in the Journey of Hope.
“The purpose of the trip is to raise awareness for people with disabilities,” McDonald said. “This covers any person with a disability, including cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, blindness, developmental disabilities, you name it.”
In Socorro, the students presented Kids on the Block, a puppet show for kids about disabilities, at Parkview Elementary School.
There also was a bike decorating contest.
“We also like kids to ask questions,” McDonald said. “The more understanding kids can have about various disabilities people can have, the better.”
The cyclists coming through Socorro were from states as diverse as Georgia, Vermont, Colorado, Iowa and Massachusetts.
Rider Alex Mitchell of Michigan said he had raised about $6,000 to finance his participation in the trip.
“I heard about it at the chapter and started planning it around Christmas time,” Mitchell said. “I started sending out letters to family and friends asking for their support.”
Peter Yraqui, a junior from Seattle, said cycling across America was “hands down, the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Iowa State student Matt Larson said the first 1,000 miles has been good a good workout.
“[Riding the bike] was hard to adjust to at first,” Larson said. “From day one I gained a lot of muscle.”
Safety of the riders is a primary concern and the team is escorted by four vans.
One of the support van drivers, Andrew Ella, also of Iowa State, said he handles everything from flat tires to first aid.
“We like to schedule stops every five miles or so,” Ella said. “The most common complaint so far has been road rash and heat exhaustion. We’re able to treat those problems and give first aid for other complaints.”
The annual Journey of Hope began in 1988 by a member of the fraternity.
McDonald said the trek raises about $500,000 each year for PushAmerica, a national philanthropic organization to “help spread a message to America that people with disabilities are ‘people first’ and should be treated with the same amount of respect as you would treat any neighbor, friend or family member.”
