Cyclists liked city
Dan Snyder
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
THE KIWANIS CLUB of Emporia recently hosted Push America bicyclists on their Transcontinental “Journey of Hope.” Push America was founded in 1977 by Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity to instill lifelong service in its members and enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities.
The journey raises more than $500,000 each summer. It has been my honor to work with Kiwanis of Emporia for the last four years to provide a pleasant stay for these wonderful young people.
They are very appreciative, as shown in this excerpt from their daily log by Josh Donde of Elon University:
We woke up at 5 a.m. to start our trek from Wichita to Emporia. The day was challenging and long (and) finishing up at about 115 miles. Along the way, we had an excellent meal at the Grand Central Hotel and Restaurant in Cottonwood Falls. The meal was provided by the Buchanan family and we could not thank them enough. After lunch, we finished up our ride into Emporia and arrived at our lodging for the night, the Emporia Recreation Center.
Upon our arrival we were greeted with some of the best news the entire team had heard all summer, a masseuse (Dan Snyder) had been asked by the Kiwanis Club of Emporia to provide the team with free massages.
I enjoyed my first real massage and it was very relaxing. Again there are not the right words to describe our appreciation for his work. The Kiwanis Club also provided the team with a great potluck dinner and amazing hospitality that evening.
We cannot thank them enough for their hard work. ... Emporia provided an excellent stop along the way and I hope the Kiwanis Club and Dan Snyder continue to be a part of the Journey of Hope.
The organization’s Web site can be viewed at www.pushamerica.org.