|
GVSU Lake Michigan Bike Ride |
|
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 15, 2010 | 8:45 AM EDT
ALLENDALE, MICHIGAN – Imagine getting on a bike and deciding to ride from Philadel¬phia to New Orleans, site of this summer’s Grand Chapter (August 5 to 8; register here!). Just over 1,200 miles.
Now imagine riding that distance in eight days. One hundred fifty miles of saddle sore, thigh-burning pedaling.
Now imagine you do that with 12 of your best friends. In the rain. In the heat. In one hour shifts. In eight days and seven dark nights. All for a good cause.
For the 15th year, the brothers of the Delta Phi Chapter at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, peddled the perimeter of Lake Michigan to help those in need of a perfectly trained assistance dog from Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). CCI was Alpha Sigma Phi’s national philanthropy until 2008, when Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong Foundation was adopted.
But while Delta Phi supports LIVESTRONG through various philanthropic events, the chapter’s biking – and physical sacrifice – tradition belongs to CCI.
Thirteen Delta Phi brothers participated in the 2010 ride and raised more than $12,000, breaking last year’s record of $10,000. To date, Delta Phi has contributed more than $86,000 to CCI – and they’ve ridden more than 18,000 miles.
All of the brothers said the bike ride was one of the most fun times of their college careers and Brett Chapman, Grand Valley ’07, points to a specific memory they share: “The ride from Escanaba, Mich. to Green Bay, Wis. turned out to be an extremely windy one,” he says. “While we all had problems with the wind in the morning, we pressed on. In the afternoon, we heard of a severe wind advisory issued for the area that mentioned winds up to 50 mph and to use caution while driving motor vehicles. We figured that since we were riding low weight, high speed bicycles, we needed to make a safe decision and pack up and drive to Green Bay.
When we got to Green Bay, we stopped at a fireworks warehouse shop, where we ended up getting free t-shirts, and then at Lambeau Field (home of the Green Bay Packers). All the tours were done for the day, but we told the information desk about the ride and they called the public relations department. They sent down a guy especially for us and he gave us a tour of the stadium. We even got to walk on the ‘field’ area where the players, media, and officials are located on game day. It was great.”
The ride is held at the completion of each academic year and culminates with a reception in Chicago where our brothers meet with the recipients of assistance dogs and representatives of CCI.
To commemorate the 15th anniversary of this amazing trek, the chapter wanted to share photos of this year’s ride – and of triumphant rides of the past.
MEDIA CONTACT
Steve Latour, Director of Chapter Development
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
| (317) 843-1911 ext. 235
***
Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, Inc. was founded at Yale University in 1845, and currently recognizes 76 chapters and colonies across the country. The Fraternity aims to be the co-curricular organization of choice for discerning young men through the provision of an enriching brotherhood experience and a full range of character and leadership development opportunities. The national headquarters of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity is located in Carmel, Indiana.
|
Phoenix Rises Again