While traveling cross-country, a group of fraternity members biked to Roanoke for a charitable purpose

Roanoke, Virginia – Summertime is a time for college students to unwind after a demanding academic year. For some Pi Kappa Phi fraternity brothers, however, it’s a 4,000-mile ride on pedals.

It seemed almost like a calling when I first learned about it. Austin Brown, a West Virginia University student and member of Pi Kappa Phi, stated, “And I needed to go do it.”

They are participating in a cross-country cycling event called Journey of Hope, which raises money and awareness for those with disabilities.

Brown joined the fraternity for this reason among others: it’s a component of The Ability Experience, the organization that seeks to empower those with impairments.

“This is an incredible community of people who don’t always get what they need—the support they need,” Brown remarked. “By joining Pi Kappa Phi, I can change the world.”

In order to have lunch with the Down Syndrome Association of Roanoke (DSAR), one of the organizations they are sponsoring, the brothers pumped the brakes on Sunday in Roanoke.

“This is essentially our way of saying thank you to these young men for spending their summer riding across the nation, getting to know our organization, and their volunteer and awareness-raising work that they do all summer long through their fraternity.” DSAR President Bill Lawfield stated. “It is crucial that our families are aware of this.”

Every place they stop along the way, including DSAR, serves lunch to the boys. For those groups, these meals are extremely important.

“You are made to feel valuable as a human being when you see people who are neurotypical interacting with people who are disabled, and it’s genuine,” said Jessica Price, vice president of DSAR. “We should all be able to feel that.”

However, it also has a unique effect on every brother. “I simply got to witness all these different people at these various organizations, how much they value our coming here, and how much you can impact people’s lives just by spending time with them and demonstrating some humanity,” Brown remarked.

Connor VanOrden, a Roanoke College alum, hopes that his tour through Southwest Virginia will inspire others in the Valley.

Since there are so many wonderful organizations in the world, VanOrden hoped that it would encourage more members of the Roanoke community, particularly Pi Kaps and Roanoke College, to set out on this trip and truly participate and give back.

The brothers and the lives they touch will always cherish the memories made throughout the bike trip, which comes to an end on August 10 in Washington, D.C.