9:08 a.m., Aug. 21, 2008--Two UD seniors, Barney Fortunato III and Tom Merring, completed a coast-to-coast odyssey across the United States by bicycle as part of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity's Push America-Journey of Hope at the grounds of the Capitol on Aug. 16. The Journey of Hope, with cyclists from universities and colleges all over the country, began on the West Coast in June and raised more than $500,000 this summer on behalf of persons with disabilities. Fortunato is president and Merring vice president of the Pi Kappa Phi chapter at UD.

The 70 cyclists rode down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., with a police escort and dismounted from their bikes at the Capitol for a welcoming ceremony. “It was an emotional time for everyone to see friends and family waiting after two months on the road,” Fortunato said.

Along the way the teams made Friendship Visits at organizations that serve persons with disabilities,

One of the highlights of the trip for Fortunato was playing wheelchair ice hockey in Milwaukee. The cyclists played against persons confined to wheelchairs, and it was “amazing,” Fortunato said, with players crashing and smashing into each and generally having a lot of fun. He also was interviewed on a television show in Milwaukee.

“It was phenomenal and the trip of a life time,” Fortunato said, adding, “It also was a humbling experience along the way to see how people live with disabilities.”

Article by Sue Moncure