From left, Pi Kappa Phi members Jordan Gresham, Joey Smith, Ian McSalley and Andrew Hunter will each be participating in “The Journey of Hope” this summer. The journey is a 4,000-mile, cross-country bike trip with the goal to raise money and awareness for people with disabilities. Danielle Brown – Kirksville Daily Express
With Truman State University’s spring semester officially coming to a close, a group of fraternity members are preparing to embark on a cross-country journey bringing hope to each person they encounter along the way. Four members of the Truman State Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, Joey Smith, Jordan Gresham, Ian McSalley and Andrew Hunter, will each be participating in one the fraternity’s largest philanthropic efforts – “The Journey of Hope.”
The journey is a 4,000-mile, cross-country cycling trip that raises money and awareness for people with disabilities. Starting in June and ending in August, the Pi Kappa Phi members will bike from California to Washington, waking up every day at 6 a.m. and traveling an average distance of about 75 miles per day. Throughout the trip, members will stop and make presentations to help others better understand people with disabilities. They will also be meeting with different organizations and camps where people with disabilities are staying and participate in multiple activities.
“It’s going to be a lot of different things I’ve never experienced and a lot of different cultures from going across the country, but I’m excited to spread our message and get to be able to see the entire country,” Smith said. Smith will be on the trip as a crew member and as an historian, taking pictures and videos throughout the group’s entire journey. Gresham will also be a crew member and his duty will be working with the group’s social media sites and doing videography.