By Jaci Schneider, Copy Editor
One hospital visit, one Price is Right contestant, about $8,500, and more than 1,200 bicycled miles came together to make a spring break to remember for 20 men of Gamma Sigma Phi.
The students bicycled from Abilene to Malibu, Calif., to raise money for the research of Osteogenesis Imperfecta, an incurable disease that afflicts 10-year-old Matt Phillips, son of Dr. Mark Phillips, assistant professor of management. The group left Abilene on the afternoon of March 10 and arrived in Malibu the morning of March 13 after rotating cyclists continually throughout the trip.
After arriving, the men stayed at Pepperdine University, toured Southern California, and one member even appeared as a contestant on the Price is Right.
The Routine
Five hours after the men left Abilene, they rode through Brownsfield, a town only 100 miles from their origin.
Justin Scott, senior political science major from Whitehouse, said their on-schedule arrival in Brownsfield showed the group how long and daunting its trip would be.
“We realized we couldn’t worry about the big, big picture,” he said. “We had to get through each 10-mile shift.”
Scott said the time it took each cyclist to ride his 10 miles varied depending on the wind, weather conditions and traffic. The cyclist would ride behind a truck driven by club members, which cut down on wind resistance, allowing some riders to reach pretty high speeds, Scott said. Toward the end of each 10-mile shift, the car in the back would speed up to the end mark, and the next cyclist would be ready to ride as soon as the previous rider reached him. Scott said the group’s average speed was about 25 mile per hour.
“It was strange to go 25 mph down the highway,” Scott said. “It was oddly soothing.”
Blake Browder, sophomore elementary education major from Denton, said he also enjoyed the slow-paced trip.
“We really got to bond with the guys a lot,” Browder said. “You’re going 20 mph all the way to California – you’re stuck together for a long time.”
The Reason
The 20 men were divided into two groups, allowing half to drive ahead to eat, sleep and relax, while the other half caught up on the bike.
The men braved the desert, the mountains and rush-hour traffic during their trek.
In eastern California in early morning hours of March 13, the group had to cross 6,000-foot mountains with five to six inches of snow on them, said Cole Griffith, senior accounting major from Nashville, Tenn.
“I think it was a lot harder than we all expected,” Griffith said. “But we knew the real reason we were doing it.”
The “real reason” was fourth-grader Matt Phillips. Matt has type 3 Osteogenesis Imperfecta, which means his bones fracture easily, and he is short in stature. Matt gets around in a wheelchair and receives help from a service dog. He also inspired the men of GSP to make the bike ride to California for the OI Foundation for research of the disease. The men found business and family sponsors for their trip, asked other social clubs for contributions and took donations from students, Griffith said. As of Wednesday the club had raised about $8,500, which it will send to the foundation in honor of Matt.
The young boy skipped school to see the men off from campus, talking with them and taking pictures. He also called them throughout the trip, which Griffith said kept the men motivated during the difficult stretches.
The Results
Once the men arrived at their destination, they hoped to help Matt by spreading the word about OI by becoming contestants on The Price is Right – a goal they achieved.
Browder got the chance to “come on down” on The Price is Right on March 15.
“It was just so much fun.” Browder said. “I just wasn’t thinking straight.”
Browder won a washer and dryer set by bidding on the items from Bid Row, where he looked to his club brothers for input.
“I put 68 at the end because that’s the year GSP was founded,” Browder said. “And I just turned around and looked at the guys for the first numbers.”
After reaching the stage for the fifth game, Browder was able to tell Barker about the group’s trip and the fundraiser. On air, Barker mentioned the bike trip, Browder said, but not the OI Foundation.
Although Browder missed winning a new car by one number, he said he had a lot of fun. The show will air at 10 a.m. March 31 on CBS.
“It was crazy,” he said.
Crazy is word many club members used to describe the trip, especially riding up the Pacific Coast Highway in rush hour traffic.
“We did think about it and try to make it as safe as possible,” Scott said. “Everybody could tell we were doing something out of the ordinary.”
The group did get pulled over by the police once in California because club members were riding in the back of a pickup truck, but the police officer just told them to all find seatbelts and be safe, Scott said.
In addition to stiff joints and sore muscles, only one cyclist received minor injuries. While in New Mexico, he ran into the back of the front car and fell of his bike. But, after a quick stop at a hospital to check on scrapes and bruises, the rider was fine.
Griffith said although the trip proved to be difficult, he would do it again in a second.
“We accomplished spreading the word,” he said. “And it was one of the most personally satisfying experience I’ve ever had.”
