The Nevada Sagebrush

For years, Alex Mingo thought about applying to a charity bike ride. It took a while for him to feel he was ready. This wasn’t any ordinary bike trip, and he wanted to make sure he was fully prepared.

Beginning in June, Mingo, a 22-year-old biology major, and Marshall Grill, a 21-year-old mechanical engineering major, will start out in San Francisco on a more than 60-day trip with a Pi Kappa Phi fraternity brother to Washington, D.C.

Mingo and Grill are taking the trip to raise money for disability outreach, awareness and volunteer projects.

The competition, Push America, is a national outreach project put on by Pi Kappa Phi.

Before applying for the journey, Mingo and Grill developed a rigorous training regimen that gave both students the confidence to undertake the transcontinental trip.

While on the road, the two will have more challenges to tackle than just the mountain ranges and vast stretches of desert. They will have to solicit donations both for the charity and themselves – the pair will need to find hotels willing to donate rooms if they want a bed at night.

“Sometimes we (will) sleep on gym floors,” Grill said.

After each day of riding, which ends for each team at 6 p.m., the riders will make “friendship visits” to local hospitals, disability camps and schools.

“We play wheelchair basketball, put on puppet shows and dance-offs,” Grill said.

To make the trip, Mingo and Grill undertook a lengthy application process to ensure they were physically ready for the adventure and able to raise the required $5,000.

The two underwent multiple interviews, wrote essays and prepared thorough training and financial plans to submit to Push America, Mingo said.

To raise the money, the two are planning a competition between Greek organizations, as well as planning to solicit donations at local cycling events. They are also looking for private donations both from individuals and local businesses.

“We will do anything we can do to raise money,” Grill said.

Despite the daunting task before them, both students are eagerly awaiting the beginning of the trip.

“It’s an awesome opportunity to ride 4,000 miles across the country and it’s for a great cause,” Grill said.

Gianna Cruet and Jay Balagna can be reached at news@nevadasagebrush.com.

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