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Cyclists going cross-country for a special cause | kvue.com Austin
Deaf and hard-of-hearing cyclists with the organization Miles for Smiles are riding across the nation to raise money for children in developing countries who suffer with cleft palates.
They started in Venice beach, California on May 18, and will finish in St. Augustine, Florida - a trip of about 4,000 miles. Austin is the half-way point.
The group is stopping at different schools for the deaf and hard of hearing. Austin's Texas School for the Deaf is one of those schools.
Nicholas Gould is from Illinois. He is one of four cyclists making the cross-country trek.
"When I was in Kindergarten, I was in the classroom learning about other countries, cultures, the different foods, and the teacher gave out fortune cookies. My fortune cookie said, 'Your smile will change the world,'" said Gould through a translator. "That's something that has stuck with me ever since."
Gould says that fortune later gave him the idea to help kids with cleft palates.
His group's goal is to raise $24,000 to help 100 kids get the simple surgery. So far they have raised about $7,000. People donate through the organization's website.
When the students at the Texas School for the Deaf found out these cyclists came half-way across the country for a great cause, many of them were in awe. At the same time, these cyclists have been an inspiration for these students.
Brennan Ruffin will be a high school senior this fall. He admires the cyclists' drive and wants to continue helping others with disabilities when he graduates.
"I myself, I'm proud of them as a deaf person and I'm supportive to them that it does us proud to support them as deaf riders because they're supporting other deaf people," Ruffin said through a translator.
Page Vaughn just finished her sophomore year. She sees the cyclists as role models.
"I feel like, 'This is incredible' and ‘Wow,’ because they're supporting those children who have the cleft palate, and so giving them free surgeries for that – I think it's really nice,” Vaughn explained through an interpreter.
Gould is heartened by the response he has seen so far and is enjoying the ride.
"Riding across the country - it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I need to take it all in," he said.
He and his fellow cyclists hope to inspire others on the rest of their journey and to bring smiles to more children.
Deaf and hard-of-hearing cyclists with the organization Miles for Smiles are riding across the nation to raise money for children in developing countries who suffer with cleft palates.
They started in Venice beach, California on May 18, and will finish in St. Augustine, Florida - a trip of about 4,000 miles. Austin is the half-way point.
The group is stopping at different schools for the deaf and hard of hearing. Austin's Texas School for the Deaf is one of those schools.
Nicholas Gould is from Illinois. He is one of four cyclists making the cross-country trek.
"When I was in Kindergarten, I was in the classroom learning about other countries, cultures, the different foods, and the teacher gave out fortune cookies. My fortune cookie said, 'Your smile will change the world,'" said Gould through a translator. "That's something that has stuck with me ever since."
Gould says that fortune later gave him the idea to help kids with cleft palates.
His group's goal is to raise $24,000 to help 100 kids get the simple surgery. So far they have raised about $7,000. People donate through the organization's website.
When the students at the Texas School for the Deaf found out these cyclists came half-way across the country for a great cause, many of them were in awe. At the same time, these cyclists have been an inspiration for these students.
Brennan Ruffin will be a high school senior this fall. He admires the cyclists' drive and wants to continue helping others with disabilities when he graduates.
"I myself, I'm proud of them as a deaf person and I'm supportive to them that it does us proud to support them as deaf riders because they're supporting other deaf people," Ruffin said through a translator.
Page Vaughn just finished her sophomore year. She sees the cyclists as role models.
"I feel like, 'This is incredible' and ‘Wow,’ because they're supporting those children who have the cleft palate, and so giving them free surgeries for that – I think it's really nice,” Vaughn explained through an interpreter.
Gould is heartened by the response he has seen so far and is enjoying the ride.
"Riding across the country - it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I need to take it all in," he said.
He and his fellow cyclists hope to inspire others on the rest of their journey and to bring smiles to more children.