With just one semester left before he graduates from Roanoke College, Connor VanOrden of Gloucester is pondering the usual questions:Will he find a job after graduation? Where will he live? Is he fit enough to ride a bike all the way across America?
Well, that last question may be a bit unusual, but that’s because VanOrden has chosen to attempt an extraordinary feat during his first summer after college.
A cyclist on the Journey of Hope, which raises awareness and money for people with disabilities, VanOrden will ride a bike from Seattle, Washington, to Washington, D.C., with his fellow Pi Kappa Phi brothers from around the country.
“Since the moment I heard about the ride when I was a freshman, I knew I wanted to do it before I graduated or the year after,” VanOrden said, “so it’s always been on my radar and something that I really want to be a part of.”
Journey of Hope is a program through The Ability Experience, a philanthropic initiative of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. Every summer, 10...