[June 13, 2011] Frat members cycle for disabilities Tweet Jun 13, 2011 (Moscow-Pullman Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The smell of pizza wafted through the air as a group of slightly sunburned college-aged men stepped up to a microphone Sunday and started singing "Summer Nights" from "Grease." This wasn't a your average tavern karaoke night. The men singing Sunday were all Pi Kappa Phi fraternity members participating in a cross-country bicycle tour called the Journey of Hope, which is organized by the fraternity's nonprofit organization, Push America. The tour -- from Seattle to Washington D.C. -- intends to raise awareness and funds for people with disabilities. Sunday marked one of many "friendship visits" the men will have in the next couple of months with agencies that help those with disabilities. "It's something I wanted to do because I've always been involved through Pi Kappa Phi with local philanthropy agencies," said Chris Ruff, 20, a cyclist from Purdue University. The visit in Pullman was held in St. James Episcopal Church with Families Together, a nonprofit that serves the needs of people with disabilities throughout the Palouse and Idaho. As the 22 cyclists and six crew members took turns with the members of Families Together, the men chatted, danced and played with children. "We rode 115 miles here today, and we're all full of energy and ready to interact with everyone," Ruff said. The men stayed in Pullman High School Gym Sunday night and will ride up to Spokane for a two-day stop starting today, then they'll pedal on to Kellogg, Idaho, and east through Montana. This team is one of three fraternity groups making a trek to Washington, D.C. The other two teams are taking different routes on their way to the East Coast. The exuberance of the men was appreciated by parents like Jeannete Solimine, who has two daughters who live with disabilities. While the men chatted and played with children, their parents got to sit back and relax, Solimine said. "(The fraternity members) pretty much let them lead the show, and I can take a breath and know that my kids are safe," Solimine said. "No one's freaking out about the way they act. They can be themselves here, and that's a huge relief for these kids." Chris Curry, executive director of Families Together, said the help of young college-aged men like the cyclists on the Journey of Help has been instrumental for the organization. "The frat here has helped us tremendously," Curry said. "We've kept in touch with (Push America) over the years, and we love what they do." Curry often works with sorority and fraternities. While the Greek house members play with children who have disabilities, Curry organizes educational programs for their parents. To learn more about the Journey of Hope and Push America, visit www.pushamerica.org Sarah Mason can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 234, or by email to [email protected]. To see more of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dnews.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Moscow, Idaho Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]