The main purpose of the Journey of Hope ride is to “use shared experiences to support people with disabilities and develop the men of Pi Kappa Phi into servant leaders,” according to a press release. This year, Park City native Troy Haas, a 19-year-old Colorado State University student, joined the group for the 3,600-mile ride.
On Sunday and Monday, Haas got the chance to share his hometown with his fellow fraternity members from all over the country as the Journey of Hope riders experienced the Park City lifestyle for a couple days.
“I’ve been hyping this up pretty much the whole trip and then [Sunday] we got to hang out at the Silly Market and walk up and down Main Street,” Haas said. “Then, in the evening, a couple guys were like, ‘Troy, you’ve been talking about how great Park City is and we get it now.’ It’s a different way of life and it’s cool to show them what it’s like and have them respond positively to it.”
During a visit to the National Ability Center on Monday evening, Haas said he was proud to have an organization doing such great work located in his community. “It’s cool,” he said. “I’ve always been aware of the National Ability Center. I’ve had friends work for them before and I was a volunteer ski patroller at Park City [Mountain Resort], so we got to hang out with the NAC friends during the winter.