Members of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity are cycling 7,200 miles across the U.S. to raise awareness for people with disabilities.

Members of the Journey of Hope team, composed of 60 students from all across the nation, are giving up their summers to educate and raise money for disabled people.

One Iowa State student will be riding in the Journey of Hope this summer. Jason Henson, a 20-year-old student from Waukee, will be riding on the northern team, which will travel through Ames on July 17-18.

The long voyage began on June 8 in San Francisco, and it will end on August 9 in Washington, D.C.

The Journey of Hope is the largest fund-raising event for PUSH America, which was founded by Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity in 1977. Last year the Journey of Hope raised $296,439 to benefit the projects and programs of PUSH America.

The team begins the ride together for the first week, then divides into two teams, northern and southern.

“Guys choose which team to be on, depending on which part of the country they’d like to see,” said Chad Coltrane, director of special events for PUSH America.

Although the ride across the country is grueling, averaging 75 miles per day with a total of about 3,500 miles per route, many people feel it is worthy enough to participate in the ride year after year.

“We have at least six guys that returned from last year and two guys who are going for a third time,” Coltrane said.

To be a part of the team, interested parties must go through an application process. Once that is completed, people are chosen on the basis of academic achievement, leadership ability, community service and letters of recommendation, Coltrane said.

“It’s sort of a two-fold process in that the chosen members also had to raise $4,000 to secure their place on the team,” Coltrane said.

After each day’s ride, the team members will get together with local organizations to provide educational programs and participate in disability awareness events in the community.

“We’ll stop at a facility that serves people with disabilities and interact one on one with them or take a tour of the facility,” Coltrane said. “We’re basically there to be a friend for a day to these people.”

The cyclists will also be taking a class in the summer through the College of Charleston to learn about the people for whom they are riding.

“These kids are students as well as teachers throughout the summer,” Coltrane said. “They are learning about people with disabilities as well as trying to teach others about it.”

Coltrane said the purpose of the program is “to show that these people aren’t asking for sympathy, just understanding.”