CLEVELAND–It’s been a long journey for Nick Jones, of North Ridgeville.
Just 58 days ago, he joined 33 other guys in San Francisco for the ride of the lifetime.
“The bond that we all have together is that we all are members of Pi Kappa Phi from across the country,” Jones said.”Our group represents 21 different schools from across the nation.”
Jones, a student at the University of Toledo, and the rest of the crew are raising money and awareness for Journey of Hope, a charity that helps people with disabilities. This year, the team raised half a million dollars.
The guys have cycled about 4,000 miles in nine weeks. They have nine days left until their final stop: Washington, D.C.
Fellow University of Toledo student and Avon resident Gus Long, said the trip has taken them all to unexpected places.
“It’s been absolutely amazing,” Long said. “I’ve been so blessed. The sights are great, but the friendships that you make last a lifetime. You can always visit these places.”
Yesterday, the group visited Cedar Point–a place all too familiar to Jones and Long.
“Like Cedar Point for me, I’ve probably been there 15 to 20 times,” Jones said. “And all these guys go there, and they’re just like little kids, super excited to see all these things they’ve never seen. It was pretty fun.”
Yet, there are some places that surprised them along the way.
“I didn’t realize Nevada was so hilly. Being in the desert, I thought it would be pretty flat,” Long said. “Going through Nebraska and Iowa, we caught a pretty big heatwave, but the most beautiful ride was Lake Tahoe.”
They all ride during the day, and at night, perform a “Kids on the Block” show. The group will perform for the Cleveland Clinic’s Children Hospital from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.
“It shows kids that people with disabilities are really no different than anybody else,” Jones said. “People with disabilities have so many different abilities. They can do everything. They just do it a little bit different than us.”
During this last leg of their journey, Jones said he just wants to bring awareness to a cause that’s often overlooked.
“It’s an important to help people with disabilities,” he said. “And it’s fun to meet different friends, meet different people from across the country and to be able to tell our experiences, as well as the things that we’ve learned.”
