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Journey of Hope stops in McCook
Ninety-five miles of slogging through high temperatures, oppressive humidity and swarms of grasshoppers didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the 28 Push America riders Friday night as they waited for a lasagna dinner with all the fixings prepared by their hosts at Memorial United Methodist Church in McCook.
En route to Washington D.C., where they will meet up with two other groups pedaling to the north and to the south of them, they are making the most of their 4,000 miles, 70-day trip, raising funds and awareness for people with disabilities, both physical and developmental, under the banner of the Journey for Hope.
Members of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, this group of young college students has quickly formed into a cohesive unit, and depend on one another through the long stretches of asphalt, whiling away the miles with conversation, highway games and contemplation.
"It's really a great day just after a 'friendship visit'," said one young man, freshly showered and ready for supper. Friendship visits are coordinated along the route and allow the cyclists to interact with the people they're riding for.
"It's inspiring," another young man interjected. "When it gets tough to push on, I just have to remember that they don't get to quit, ever. They have to push on every day."
The stop in McCook this year was for rest and refreshment. Previous Push America riders have visited with Southwest Area Training Center clients or have come through as an advocacy team.
When acting as an Advocacy Team, the cyclists educate people about the needs of the disabled.
"We want to encourage empathy rather than sympathy," explained Bryan Janzing, on-site coordinator. "Empathy understands and shares."
"Most disabled people don't want to be identified as 'disabled'," another young man added. "They just want to be seen as people."
Puppet shows further the group's goal by educating children about disabilities and about the words that can wound, teaching them proper terminology.
"The 'R' word is as hurtful to some people as the 'N' word is to others," said a young man as he worked on updating the team's status on a lap top.
Unusually high humidity took its toll on the riders Friday as they made their way from Wray, Colo., to McCook.
"Yeah, that was tough," said one young man, "But nothing is more depressing than the wind."
A chorus of agreement rose from his table mates. "Riding into the wind is like riding uphill, with no downhill ride in sight," one said.
"The wind is relentless," added another.
Another hazard of the road this time of year is grasshoppers.
"You can ride through a swarm for a half mile," said one young man, "Grasshoppers hopping off and on, jumping all around, except for the ones that don't escape in time," he said with a grimace. "They kinda crunch underneath your wheels."
For all of the hardships along the way, the men are thrilled to be a part of this Journey of Hope and they are seizing opportunity along the way.
"Kansas wasn't on our route," one explained. "But, because one of our team members is from Kansas, and we were so close when we crossed the Nebraska/Colorado line, we decided to take a slight detour."
"This is such an education for all of us," one said. "It's the trip of a lifetime!"
After over-nighting in McCook, the team headed for Minden, another 95 mile journey. After that it was a quick 50 to Grand Island and day of rest on Monday.
Each cyclist commits to raising at least $5,000 on behalf of people with disabilities before the Journey of Hope begins. Combining their individual efforts with corporate sponsorships, the 2009 teams have raised more than $509,605.
More information is available online at www.pushamerica.org.