"It's humbling for sure:" Journey of Hope visits Gaenslen School in Milwaukee

Journey of Hope bike ride passes through Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- From one end of the country to the next -- all on bikes! It's called "Journey of Hope" and it's a ride to reach people with disabilities.

All 35 young men making the trek from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. are from all over the country, but all part of the fraternity Pi Kappa Phi. They started out on June 1st and plan to finish on August 2nd. Monday they were in Milwaukee, and spent the majority of their day at Gaenslen School.

While they were there, they put on a puppet show which teaches kids about different disabilities and about acceptance. The audience includes children with special needs, who are part of the MPS Summer Club Rec Program.

“It’s mutually beneficial. It opens the minds of the kids to gentlemen that are from across the country in different areas. For the college guys, it’s really fun for them to interact with kids. But they appreciate this setting in particular at Gaenslen because it’s an integrated setting of kids with and without disabilities,” said Kathy Mohar with Independence First who plans and organizes all the activities the group does here in Milwaukee.

As Mohar pointed out, the experience is both fun and educational for the kids in the audience. But it also makes a big impact on the young men putting on the show and interacting with them.

“It’s humbling for sure. You make an impact but they also make an impact on you and that`s something I don`t think you realize in the beginning,” said Ethan Murray, a cyclist currently attending college in Texas.

“At the end of the day when you get to visit these kids and brighten their days it`s so rewarding. It`s well worth going through the struggle. Maybe you have a bad day, but when you see their smile it`s worth it for sure,” said Derek Torres, one of the cyclists from New Jersey.

The Journey of Hope has a goal of raising more than $500,000 through this ride to go towards people with disabilities.

To learn more about The Journey of Hope, organized by Push America, CLICK HERE.