Matthew Reis

I'm fundraising for the Grand Junction Regional Center (GJRC)

The Grand Junction Regional Center (GJRC) serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who need additional support to stabilize and successfully return to community-based residential settings. Their work focuses on improving individual outcomes while promoting independence and community integration.

The Ability Experience (ABEX) uses cycling as a vehicle to connect with disability organizations across the country. Through friendship visits, service, and challenging experiences on the road, our events bring ABEX's mission to life: supporting people with disabilities while developing the men of Pi Kappa Phi into servant leaders.

As a staff member of ABEX, I created the Gravel Grinder to expand that mission to a new community while challenging our network of cyclists in a new way.

In Grand Junction, ABEX will provide a grant to GJRC, and our cyclists will spend an evening sharing dinner and doing crafts with the individuals they serve. The next morning, the team will set out on a bikepacking journey from Grand Junction to Moab.

The ride is intentionally difficult. By pushing themselves physically and mentally, our cyclists are challenged to reflect on their own abilities and develop a deeper sense of empathy for people with disabilities who navigate challenges of their own every day.

Your support of the Gravel Grinder directly helps us build this new partnership with GJRC, strengthen the disability community in Grand Junction, and continue using shared experiences to create a more inclusive world.