Sophomore prepares for ride across America

How would you like to take a trip across America, seeing all sorts of landmarks and monuments along the way? \nOn your bike.\nSophomore Eric Butterbaugh has been hard at work this year raising money in preparation for his participation in the Journey of Hope, an event sponsored by PUSH America, the charitable wing of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. The annual Journey of Hope raises money to increase awareness about individuals with disabilities, allocates grants and provides service to disabled communities across the country. \nDuring the 4,000-mile ride, two teams starting from San Francisco will cycle north and south and meet again in Washington, D.C. The teams will hand out grant money as they stop in cities along the way. They will also participate in speaking engagements and in building projects such as constructing handicapped accessible parks or building wheelchair ramps for underprivileged families.\nButterbaugh acknowledged that the trip isn't going to be the way most students spend their summer vacations. \n"It's an amazing opportunity that I have to take advantage of," he said. "The experience I am going to have is going to be a lot more beneficial than any internship or summer job." \nEach rider raises money for by soliciting donations before the culminating journey. The goal for each rider is $4,000. Butterbaugh wrote letters to alumni of the IU chapter of Pi Kappa Phi to ask for support and also welcomed student donations. \nButterbaugh's personal goal was $10,000; he has raised $7,000 so far. He has also received support from many people, including his parents and some of his fraternity brothers. \nSophomore Mike McHugh, Butterbaugh's roommate, said Butterbaugh is up to the challenge. \n"I think it would be quite an experience to see the country that way," McHugh said. "He's the type of kid who'd eat up that experience." \nThough riding across the country on a bike sounds like an arduous task, Butterbaugh said the ride will be smooth and logistical problems like food and lodging are already taken care of. The event is planned out to the minute, and donations of lodging and food for the cyclists have been obtained for the journey. \nButterbaugh will keep a journal detailing his travels while he is on the road and hopes to take lots of pictures, but his real focus is on the empowerment of disabled people across the nation. \n"Granted, we will be riding bikes for five to six hours per day, but it's really about raising awareness for disabled people," Butterbaugh said. \nIt's about more than that for Butterbaugh. \n"My ultimate goal is to start a tradition here in this house, where every summer our chapter sends somebody," Butterbaugh said. "It's one thing for me to be able to do it, but if I could start something, that's really important to me"