Journey of Hope
Carlos Saavedra
A college sophomore volunteers for a cross-country bike ride averaging 50–100 miles per day, and he’s not even a cyclist. Life lessons and camaraderie ensue. This summer blockbuster starred Carlos Saavedra, but the story played out on America’s roadways instead of the silver screen. Now a junior criminal justice major, Saavedra became the fourth Pi Kappa Phi member from UT Arlington to complete the Journey of Hope ride benefiting people with disabilities. The 20-year-old from Chicago raised more than $5,000 for PUSH America, the fraternity’s charitable organization/foundation. A year ago, Mo Adwalla told his fraternity brothers that his 2010 ride was the best summer he ever had. “I had a hard time believing it,” says Saavedra, who ran more than he cycled to get in shape. “My training was the first two weeks” on the road. The route from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., came through Arlington on July 15. The 28 cyclists played the Movin’ Mavs wheelchair basketball team, one of many “friendship visits” that Saavedra says reminded the riders of their fundraising goals. “It really was the best summer of my life.”
