Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Julian Camilleri of the Journey of Hope cycling team rests with an episode of "Attack on Titan" next to the fleet of bikes he and his team rode Thursday from Roswell to Portales. Camilleri is entering his senior year at Oregon State University.
PORTALES - There are road trips, and then there are road trips.
Portales got a look at the latter, as the Journey of Hope cycling team made its way through Chaves and Roosevelt counties Thursday before resting for the night at Portales' Calvary Baptist Church.
The team of 20 cyclists and six support staff is one of two Journey of Hope teams making a 59-day, 3,600-mile trip from Santa Barbara, California, to Washington, D.C.
The Roswell to Portales Thursday expedition was the 22nd day of the trip, with the 95 miles an above-average day in distance. The riders average about 75 miles per day, with each day's mileage dictated by what stops they've lined up weeks in advance.
The cycling teams are entirely comprised of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity members from across the nation, and all participants are either current students or graduated inside the last year.
"I didn't envision things would go as well as they have," said Kyle Stringfellow, a senior at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. "I met most of the guys two or three weeks ago, and it feels like I've known them much longer. The cycling has been a blast."
The two Journey of Hope teams anticipate raising more than $400,000 this year through grant funding and corporate sponsorships, while sharing a message of acceptance and inclusion for people with disabilities across the nation.
"The desire to wake up at 4 a.m. and cycle 90 miles isn't something you see in a typical college student," said Liam Wyman, who attends North Carolina State. "You do it because you are focused on the overall purpose."
The Ability Experience, which organizes the Journey of Hope, has raised over $20 million in its 44-year history.
