My name is Dean Coffman, I am a sophomore at Virginia Tech and a current brother of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. Every summer, Pi Kappa Phi’s National Philanthropy, "The Ability Experience", holds an event called Journey of Hope. Journey of Hope begins during the first week of June, as select brothers of Pi Kappa Phi embark on their two-month bike ride from Seattle to Washington, DC. This trip can be anywhere from 3500-4500 miles in total, and averages about 70 miles per day. Throughout the trip, we will be making consistent stops at centers for people with disabilities; we call these stops "Friendship visits”, these include activities such as a cookout, baseball game, bowling, dinner and dance, and so much more. I decided that I wanted to participate in this Journey at a Special Olympics bowling event in the fall of 2015. I met a young man named Cody, and after beating my score by 42 points, Cody started telling me about his life, and his day-to-day experiences. What I then realized is just how valuable a friendship can be, I realized that “giving back” does not just mean writing a check to an organization, it can mean giving your time and being a friend as well. Currently, there are 54 million people living with some type of disability in the United States. People with disabilities face many challenges every day that you and I cannot imagine. One of the most tragic barriers is a lack of understanding by our society. A simple message of empathy and acceptance is all it takes to break down this barrier, and I have committed myself to spreading this message this summer. The money that you are donating will go directly to our National Philanthropy: The Ability Experience (tax deductible, more information at http://www.abilityexperience.org/pushcontent.aspx?id=449). My goal is to raise $8000 total by the time that the event starts on June 3rd, 2017. Your donation will mean the world to me, and it will go directly towards the special needs community to create memories that will not be forgotten. Thank you so much for your support. Please feel free to contact me at my personal email: deanc3@vt.edu.
