Amador County – For the 23rd time in as many years, the Arc of Amador and Calaveras counties welcomed bicycle tour riders from across the county to St. Sava Mission in Jackson as a fundraiser and awareness-raiser for people with developmental disabilities.
Mike Sweeney, executive director of Arc of Amador and Calaveras Counties made the 23rd trip of the PUSH America Journey of Hope his own special fundraiser, and his last project to operate for Arc as he closes a 23-and-a-half year career with Arc with a retirement effective at the end of June.
Sweeney also made it a personal farewell by riding with the PUSH America riders, all college students or graduates, and members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, which has been holing its PUSH America national fundraiser for 35 years, and its Journey of Hope for 25 years now.
Ricky Rascon of New Mexico, the PUSH America public relations road liaison, said he has been involved since riding the trip in 2009. Now he is a recent graduate and intern for the PUSH America project. He said the ride gives $1,000 back to the host community organizations who host the Friendship Visits, as Arc has done since Sweeney took over as executive director in 1989.
The Journey of Hope is made to enhance the quality of life of people with disabilities by raising money and awareness in a 4,000-mile cycling event across the country, which started Sunday, June 3 when 30 Pi Kappa Phi riders left San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge, and plan to end the trip Aug. 5 in Washington, D.C. Sweeney left San Francisco on Sunday with the group, but rode his own route and shorter schedules. He said he missed the rain on Monday and joined the riders Tuesday near Tonzi Road for the ride into Jackson.
PUSH publicist Ricky Rascon had this to say about the fundraiser. The 30 riders stopped to stage their descent into Jackson gathering at Vista Park on Highway 49, where Jackson City Councilmen Wayne Garibaldi and Keith Sweet and City Manager Mike Daly welcomed the group.
The team arrived at St. Sava Mission at about noon, met by participants of Arc of Amador and Calaveras Counties, which provides services to people with disabilities, including assisted living, working and travel. At 5 p.m., PUSH America riders were to be provided dinner by the Jackson Lion’s Club at Mel and Faye’s Diner.
Rascon, the traveling publicist, said three routes will be taken on the trek. A “TransAmerica” route of 30 riders left Seattle on May 31. The 27 north route riders left San Francisco on Sunday and arrived in Jackson on Tuesday, and the South Route riders, a group of 30 riders, will leave Los Angeles on June 11.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
