BELMONT — A group of adventurous and dedicated cyclists made a stop at Holy Angels during their 59-day-long, 3,663-mile journey across the United States to bring awareness and support for people with intellectual developmental disabilities.
The Journey of Hope is an annual cross-country ride created by The Ability Experience, the exclusive philanthropy of Pi Kappa Phi. Riders stopped recently on day 51 of their 59-day journey for the team. They started in Santa Barbara, Calif., and concluded in Washington, D.C.
“It’s crazy because the further we go into it, the less tired we get. The first few weeks were definitely the roughest, but now that we’ve made it further into the trip we’re able to cope with what we’re dealing with,” said Dalton James, a Journey of Hope rider from Shelby who attends North Carolina State.
The riders took a couple of laps around the Holy Angels campus with residents safely cheering them on from a distance. In years past, riders would eat lunch with the residents and get to know them on a personal level. This year because of the pandemic, the riders were not able to interact directly with the residents.
“Holy Angels is just a magical place for us. The opportunity to bring college students to a residential campus and to see the work Holy Angels does each and every day is inspiring, magical and an opportunity to connect the men of Pi Kappa Phi to these service opportunities is special,” said The Ability Experience CEO Basil Lyberg. “Every time a man steps on this campus they leave with a fuller heart.”
The Ability Experience, headquartered in Charlotte, has raised more than $15 million to benefit people with disabilities and organizations dedicated to their service.
The relationship between this nonprofit and Holy Angels goes back decades.
“We consider members of the Ability Experience our close friends,” said Holy Angels President/CEO Regina Moody. “Ever since our first experience with them in 1989, this organization has continued to support Holy Angels through their time, talent and treasure. The Journey of Hope isn’t just about a long bike ride during one summer for these men. It’s about building strong leaders and creating relationships that last decades.”
Moody also serves on the board of directors for the Ability Experience.
The Ability Experience (then known as PUSH America) first came to Holy Angels in 1989 when members of the fraternity from across the southeast spent a weekend building a play area. The organization returned a few years later for another weekend and helped build Camp Hope, a recreation destination on Lake Wylie for Holy Angels’ residents. Members of the fraternity have made multiple other visits to help refurbish and expand the original projects.
Four riders with connections to North Carolina participated in this year’s Journey of Hope: Dalton James of Lawndale, Alex Simpson of Huntersville and Liam Wyman, who all attend N.C. State; and Nico Krachenfels of Chapel Hill, who attends UNC-Chapel Hill.
“When you ride through and you’re just doing two laps it seems like such a small thing, but you feel like a celebrity. To see them all waiving and smiling. I have chills thinking about it right now,” said Simpson. “They’re just so happy to see us and they’re greeting us with wide open arms. They just want to see us. It feels incredible, honestly.”
Holy Angels was founded in 1955 by the Sisters of Mercy. The private, nonprofit corporation in Belmont provides residential services and innovative programs for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities with delicate medical conditions.
To learn more about Holy Angels, join Holy Angels caring team or volunteer, call 704-825-4161 or visit Holy Angels’ website at www.holyangelsnc.org.
— Shawn Flynn, Special to the Catholic News Herald
