When I was a Freshman at Washington State University I joined an interest group to help start a new fraternity. The fraternity has since become chartered and has grown to become one of the largest and most respected fraternities on campus.
As I returned to school my sophomore year I realized that I wanted to do more. I wanted to take a more active role in my chapter and the organization as a whole. I took a seat on the chapter's executive council as the Theta Iota Historian. I also began talking with older members of the chapter about national service projects that would take me beyond the local projects that the chapter had been doing. I then went to a GAP (give a push) weekend where the Washington State and University of Washington chapters came together at a children's camp in Coeur D'Alene Idaho and helped to do improvements to the camp to help them for the upcoming camper season. It was a wonderful experience and I wanted more. I then began talking to Ian Turner, an older member of my chapter about an adventure he was getting ready for. The adventure is called the Journey of Hope. He gave me advice on how I could go about making the decision to do Journey of Hope too. The following summer I made the final decision to go for it and submitted my application. I quickly heard back and had a phone interview accepting my spot on the Journey of Hope 2007 team.
PUSH AMERICA - JOH
Pi Kappa Phi is a fraternity is a organization of men who are dedicated to service. In 1977 Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity founded Push America. Push America is an organization whose purpose is instilling lifelong dedication to service in its members and bettering the quality of life for people with disabilities. Push America has three areas of focus - Service Leadership, Construction, and Cycling. Every summer Push America's cycling events raise over $500,000 to build hope for the future of people with disabilities. The largest of these cycling events is the Journey of Hope.
In 1987, one manÂ’s dream of riding his bike across the country came true. What he did not know was the inspiration and motivation his trek across America would give to Push America. The very next year his ride inspired Push America to create the largest fraternal fund-raising and awareness event of its kind, the Journey of Hope. Today the Journey of Hope covers 32 different states, cycling over 12,000 miles combined, is solely comprised of members of Pi Kappa Phi and continues to spread a message of acceptance and understanding for people with disabilities.
The Journey of Hope reaches out to people through newspapers, radio and television, civic groups and community leaders, reaching millions of people annually and bringing to the forefront the abilities of people with disabilities. From the inaugural team of 21 team members raising $20,000, the team has since been expanded into three different routes of 35 Pi Kappa Phis and annually raises more than $500,000. To date, over 900 undergraduates have participated in the Journey of Hope. One manÂ’s dream made it all possible.
The Journey of Hope is a cross-country bicycle trek beginning in San Francisco, Calif. and Florence, Ore. and ending together with all teams in Washington, D.C. The event raises funds and awareness for people with disabilities. Simply put, the Journey of Hope is a ride with a purpose. Make no mistake; this is not a simple ride. The Journey of Hope is about many things. It is about challenging the norm. It is about serving our communities. It is about finding out more about ourselves than we ever imagined. It is about having a dream. It is about a mission. It is about hope.
The true impact of the Journey of Hope can be felt through its programming across the nation After riding an average of 75 miles a day, you won't find team members napping preparing for the next day's ride. They will be dancing at a friendship visit with a local group that supports people with disabilities, participating in a game of wheelchair basketball, performing puppet shows to educate children on the abilities of people with disabilities, and learning life lessons that will impact them for the rest of their lives. This journey is service beyond self and the men of Pi Kappa Phi have been dedicated to people with disabilities since 1977.
