In a revival of a cherished tradition, members of the Gamma Sigma Phi fraternity are preparing for a 1,200-mile bicycle ride from ACU to Malibu in March—the first one since 2006.
The project, led by seniors business major Mason Hejl and finance major Sam O’Quinn, began as a casual conversation after a Gregory Alan Isakov concert last March. “It was one of those long road trip conversations where you’re like ‘you know, we should do this,'” said Hejl, GSP president.
What started as a spontaneous idea quickly gained traction when the pair texted their senior group chat to check interest. The support from their fraternity brothers grew the concept from a possibility into a concrete plan.
The bike ride to Pepperdine, ACU’s sister school, was first completed in 2002 when GSP members raised $5,000 for Habitat for Humanity. The tradition continued in 2006 with a ride supporting the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation. To prepare for this year’s revival, the organizers consulted with Chris Brewer, one of the original ride’s founders, to gather logistics from past events.
This year’s ride will support two causes: Greater Than Three, a local Abilene nonprofit, and the Malibu fire recovery efforts.
“Greater Than Three is a local nonprofit here in Abilene started by Heidi who is a student here at ACU,” O’ Quinn said. “She was an ultra-marathoner and firefighter until she had a tragic trampoline accident which left her paralyzed from her upper body down to her legs. Through physical therapy, she slowly regained mobility in her upper body which led her to start this nonprofit, which assists sports chairs to people that have mobility issues. We’re also supporting the Malibu fire recovery because we decided that it really wouldn’t be right for us to get on this trip without acknowledging that disaster.”
The team initially planned to raise $10,000 through the trip, but after seeing the scale of the event, they’ve raised their fundraising goal to an ambitious $50,000, with hopes of possibly reaching $100,000.
“We know that’s ambitious, but we think it’s doable,” Hejl said.
Eleven GSP members will depart from Abilene on March 7 and expect to reach Malibu by the following Wednesday. The route will take them through Midland, El Paso, and Phoenix, with increasing elevation challenges as they approach California. The team has been training since December, using indoor bikes at ACU’s recreation center and conducting test rides toward Anson to prepare for the terrain.
The expedition will be supported by vans following the bikers and carrying supplies, including equipment from sponsor company Chike Nutrition. The team has arranged overnight stays at churches along their route, including a stop in Tucson, Arizona. The estimated travel expenses are approximately $3,000, with vehicle rentals and fuel costs.
Safety measures include the use of access roads instead of major highways, reflective clothing, and support vehicles being constantly present. The journey will be documented through social media, with updates available on the Instagram account @biketopepperdine and their upcoming website.
When they reach Pepperdine, the team plans to celebrate by heading straight to the ocean. They will spend multiple days in Malibu before driving back to Abilene, which will mark the end of their week-long adventure.
“When we joined GSP, we never imagined we’d be planning a bike ride to Pepperdine,” Hejl said. “Joining a club really takes you places that you would never imagine.”
