Members of the'Pi Kappa Phis organization, The Ability Experience, competed in an amateur-vs-expert showdown against the University of Texas at Arlington's prominent Movin' Mavs wheelchair basketball team Saturday to help foster an understanding of people with physical disabilities.
The basketball game at UTA's Maverick Activity Center was part of a cross-country venture called Journey of Hopethat Phi Kappa Phi cyclists participate in each year.
Before tipoff, Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams presented a proclamation declaring July 16, 2016 as Ability Experience Day.
'Arlington citizens join me in recognizing the accomplishments of the members of this Journey of Hope team, which has given so much time and energy and resources for the creation of a greater understanding of Americans with disabilities,' Williams said to a crowd of cyclists, UTA athletes and visitors.
A couple of hours before the game, Movin' Mavs men's head coach, Doug Garner, taught the Journey of Hope team drills, pointers and best practices in how to maneuver the specialized wheelchairs his players used.
As the game commenced, player collisions, wheelchair falls, missed shots and loose balls from the Journey of Hope team juxtaposed with the fluidity of skill from the Movin' Mavs and gave audience members entertainment and occasional laughter.
The Movin' Mavs won the first 10-minute quarter 41 to 0.
For their first time in a wheelchair, the Journey of Hope team performed pretty well, said Jan Gans, Movin' Mavs player from 2012-2016.
'I think it was about fun,' Gans said.
Although their competition outweighed them in skills, members of the Journey of Hope team enjoyed the experience.
'Even though we got slaughtered, it was still a really good game,' said Algernon Dean, crew member and public relations coordinator for the Journey of Hope south team who played in the game.
Dean said the wheelchair basketball games are one of his favorite facets of the Journey of Hope.
The most significant takeaway from Saturday was the ability to understand and share in the experiences of others, Dean said.
'Being able to practice empathy has developed me as a person,' he said.
The Journey of Hope began in 1987, as one man's cycling journey across the U.S. The following year, his expedition inspired The Ability Experience to officially launch the venture, which is now the largest fraternal fundraising and awareness event of its kind, made up of entirely Pi Kappa Phis members. Today, the Journey of Hope spans 32 states and covers more than 12,000 miles.
This year marked the 20th year that the Arlington Mayor's Committee On People with Disabilities hosted the Pi Kappa Phi cyclists.
The history of the Journey of Hope continues to influence the present as people unite under a common purpose.
About15 members of the 1996 Journey of Hope south team welcomed this year's team and, together with Movin' Mavs alumni, played in the following quarters on Saturday.
It's significant that this event is happening in Arlington because it helps keeps the disability community up front in the minds of Arlingtonites, said Donna Mack, Chair of the Arlington Mayor's Committee On People with Disabilities.
'I want Arlington to be the American Dream City for people with disabilities, too,' Mack said.
Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities
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