Alpha Sigma Phi At Grand Valley State Raises Over $33,000 For Companion Dogs

I love covering stories that involve my two favorite things. A few months ago, I got to do just that when I heard about the guys from Alpha Sigma Phi at Grand Valley State University, who spent the spring semester fundraising for Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), a non-profit organization that provides “highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships. The dogs, their training, and all follow-up support are provided free of charge to the recipients.”

The guys held some great events, like a “Puppy Love Date Auction” (with the legit best promo video ever) and a meet and greet with the puppies for the entire university to attend. It was clear from the emails and tweets that I got from the brothers after my initial column that they were super into their philanthropy, which is awesome. But the big finale event, an eight-day bike ride from Grand Valley State to Chicago, was still to come.

So I was pretty excited when I got an email from Samuel Nathan, the event’s organizer, updating me on the 21st annual ride, which took place during the week of May 2nd. According to Nathan, the 20 guys on the trip were up and on the bikes every day by 7:30 a.m. (ugh) and on Friday, May 6th, when they reached their destination, they met with the representatives of CCI in Chicago, where they donated the over $33,000 they had raised for the organization.

From the pictures, it looks like the guys had a pretty good time en-route to the Windy City.

In the words of the folks at CCI, “These young men have changed the lives of those with disabilities and changed their own lives, as well. We are so proud of them! Congratulations!” Good job, guys..

[via Samuel Nathan]

Image via Samuel Nathan