anniversary ride along faq's
What are the dates?
August 4-8, 2027
Wednesday, Aug 4 - Travel to Philadelphia, PA*
Thursday, Aug 5 - Cycle 60 miles to Gettysburg, PA
Friday, Aug 6 - Cycle 65 miles to Gaithersburg, MD
Saturday, Aug 7 - Cycle 30 miles to Washington, DC
Sunday, Aug 8 - Travel home
*Anyone traveling from the Western part of the country are asked to arrive on Tuesday.
Where will we be staying each night?
No need to pack the air mattress and sleeping bag this time around! All lodging accommodations will be at a local hotel with your very own bed!
Participants will have the option to select their roommate or one will be selected for you by staff.
What does Arrival look like in DC?
All Ride Along participants will get to experience their own Arrival onto Capitol grounds ahead of the Journey of Hope team. You will then be among the first to welcome the team when they arrive!
After Arrival, we will head to lunch while Journey of Hope team members get checked in at the hotel.
All Ride Along participants will have free time Saturday afternoon to rest or briefly explore some of the sites around DC. You will then be able to attend the 50th Anniversay Celebration dinner in conjunction with Pi Kappa Phi's Alumni Reunion!
What is the best way to fundraise for the ride?
Everyone that registers will receive a fundraising page. You will also have access to the AbilityExp Fundraising App, where you can manage your page and send your link straight from your phone!
Staff members will be happy to work with you on a fundraising plan and ideas. Some of the tried and true methods include:
- Fundraising letter / email
- Social media posts (don't forget about LinkedIn)
- Send text messages through the App
- Civic organizations
- Place of worship
- Super Bowl squares
Should I bring my own bike?
We highly encourage everyone to bring their own bike. Most airlines treat bicycles as a standard check bag (check your airline policies).
We will be able to accomodate bike travel cases during the event (our preference is a compactable soft case, but hard cases are fine).
If needed, we can help arrange rental bike options.
Let us know if you are in need of a new bike, as we have great connection with a bike shop owned by a Pi Alpha!
What am I going to need to bring for the event?
We will share a comprehensive packing list with everyone well before the trip begins so you can plan accordingly!
The Basics for Now:
- Road or Gravel bike
- Helmet
- Bike lights (if you have them)
- Clothes for dinner and down time each night
- Business casual outfit for Saturday night's Anniversary Celebration
The Ability Experience will provide:
- 1 cycling jersey and bibs/shorts
- 1 event shirt
- Additional Ability Experience swag!
What is the fundraising requirement?
$3,000 if register before January 1
$3,500 if register January 1 or later
$5,000 for elevated "VIP" experience
What does travel to/from the event look like?
All participants must arrive in Philadelphia, PA on Wednesday, August 4
- By plane: arrive at PHL before 2pm
- By trane: arrive at 30th St Station before 3pm
- By car: arrive at Drexel University before 3pm
We encourage all West Coast participants to travel on Tuesday to avoid any travel conflicts/delays with the time change. Hotel accomodations will be included on Tuesday night for any participants from West Coast.
All participants can leave from Washington, DC any time on Sunday, August 8. Currently, no shuttle service will be provided.
Do I have to be a Pi Alpha to participate?
Nope, not this time! This ride along is open to ANY supporter of The Ability Experience.
Participants should be 18 years of age or older. If there is interest in someone under 18 participating, please contact staff.
What are meals going to look like? Are we stuck with 'two meat, one cheese' each day?
No 'crew chief' meals for this ride along! All meals will be catered. While we can't guarantee you won't see a good old bagel or deli sandwich, we can guarantee it will be a much more elevated meal then you may have experienced on the road as a team member.
Can I bring my family with me?
Yes, you can absolutely bring your family with you. We will not have any designated programs for them during the ride each day, but they are welcome to enjoy local activities and then rejoin the group at the hotel.
Note that standard participation comes with double occupancy room with another participant, so you will need upgrade your participation/fundraising commitment for your own room to accomodate any additional family members.
Please reach out to staff if you have any specific questions around family involvement.
Who do I contact if I still have questions?
Please contact Andrew Matznick with any additional questions about the event. You can reach him at amatznick@abilityexperience.org or 980-318-5387.
Ready to join? This is definitely one event you don't want to miss!
Sign up today!
Still not convinced? Check out everyone that will be participating! You won't want to miss the stories some of these guys share!
