“You are about to embark upon the great crusade for which we have striven for these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you… Your task will not be an easy one.”
President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave this speech to American troops 75 years ago, right before they stormed Normandy Beach.
And those words were repeated last week, not to soldiers, but the men of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity as they were about to face their first real challenge as they bike across the country — climbing Mount Rainier.
This is the annual Journey of Hope, where members of the fraternity travel the United States in order to raise money for The Ability Experience, a nonprofit that raises money for programs that benefit people with disabilities. This is the ninth year the team has come through Enumclaw.