Members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity are pedaling three stationary bicycles nonstop for 48 hours on campus to raise donations and disability awareness under their philanthropy “Push America.”
Every few hours, Pi Kappa Phi members take shifts cycling.
“These bikes will never stop moving!” said fraternity member Blake Bruenning, pedaling into his third hour under the shade of the Pi Kappa Phi tent Tuesday. “We’ll just keep rotating.”
According to Philanthropy Director Bryan Garcia, Pi Kappa Phi’s goal is to raise $10,000 by the end of next spring semester. A quarter of last year’s proceeds, which was more than $1,000, will be donated directly to “AbilityFirst,” an organization servicing children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities.
Junior construction engineering management major Ryan Walker said all of Pi Kappa Phi’s proceeds are counted by “Push America” at the end of the fiscal year.
Afterward, a quarter of that total is extracted and donated personally by Pi Kappa Phi to “AbilityFirst” during “War of the Roses,” a weeklong series of competitions between CSULB sororities to further raise funds for disability organizations.
Garcia expects next year’s donation to “AbilityFirst” to be approximately $2,000, a quarter of this year’s expected proceeds.
Last fiscal year was Pi Kappa Phi’s first “Pedal for Push” event. Members pedaled for 30 hours. By the end of the year, Pi Kappa Phi had raised $5,000 for “Push America.”
According to Garcia, the event was such an unexpected success that this year’s event was extended into 48 hours of peddling.
“We try to promote empathy,” Garcia said. “We don’t want [disabled people] to be marginalized in any way. We want to focus on their capabilities rather than their disabilities.”
According to Garcia, the winner of the competitions during “War of the Roses” will receive 10 percent of “Push America’s” proceeds and may donate them to the philanthropy of their choice.
Garcia said he encourages disabled people, particularly children, to attend the events during “War of the Roses.”
“There’s nothing like spending time with these kids,” Garcia said.
According to Garcia, members of Pi Kappa Phi voluntarily donated all of the bicycles used in “Pedal for Push.”
“The cost for us is pretty much zero,” Garcia said.
Senior fashion merchandising major McKenzie Chang watched the cyclists and said the fundraiser was more than a charity for disabled people.
“I think it takes away the stigma of what a fraternity is,” she said.
The event will end at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning.
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