Page 24 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2016

COASTNOTES
story by Lisa Kröger photos courtesy of Josh Luke
Hope
Bicycle Ride of a Lifetime
Josh Luke, a Biloxi native and graduate of St. Patrick Catholic High School, did something most people never dream of doing. He took a cross-country trip from Seattle, Washington to Washington D.C. — on a bicycle.
The 71-day trip began on June 8, 2016, and concluded
on August 13, with the riders totaling an incredible 4,205 miles across 13 states. Luke, now a sophomore at the University of Southern Mississippi, first heard about
the ride through his involvement with the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, which sponsors The Ability Experience, a non- profit organization with the goal of “building leaders of tomorrow by serving people with disabilities today.” Each summer, the charity produces the national bicycle ride, raising more than $500,000 for people with disabilities.
Luke and his fellow riders averaged 80 miles a day, but on some particularly grueling days, the team cycled 125 miles in a day. How did he do it? “Good conversation,” Luke says with a laugh. He wasn’t much of a cyclist before the trip, but he wanted to make a difference and jumped on the opportunity to do something big. “I’m was one of the younger ones out there, but I just had to do it.”
A Luckyday scholar and a student on the President’s and Dean’s Lists, Luke is no stranger to hard work. “This was more of a mental challenge than a physical one,” he said of his ride, but it was a challenge he was glad to meet. “I really just wanted to raise awareness. That’s the biggest part.”
Each cyclist was required to raise a minimum of $5,500; Luke raised over $10,000. Along his trip, he and his fellow riders stopped at group homes for “friendship visits,” donating money in the form of grants. “These kids looked forward to our visits, almost like Christmas,” he said. “When we were in Denver, we gave a $12,000 grant to the Special Olympic facility.”
Each home can use the money for what they most need, whether it be sports equipment or art supplies. It’s just a small way that people like Luke can serve people across the nation.
For more information, or to donate, please visit www.abilityexperience.org/journeyofhope.aspx
JOURNEY
OF
Josh Luke on his cross-countr y trip. RIGHT: He made it to Capitol Hill.
24 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • September 2016
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