Pittsburg State University president embarks on bike tour across Kansas

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Dan Shipp, President of Pittsburg State University, is biking across Kansas with a purpose. The journey includes 800 miles of biking, with 15 stops along the way.

“Some days it feels like a thousand,” said Shipp. “Like today was a great day, weather was perfect and we had a great ride into Wichita.”

Kansas BMX hall-of-famer and Pitt State alum Darrell Pulliam is along for the ride as well.

“I actually designed the route to start in Pittsburg, go up through Topeka, down through Emporia, here in Wichita,” said Pulliam. “Then we will head out west out to Garden City. We will go up north to Colby and then out to the Colorado state line.”

The goal for this trip is to raise eight million dollars towards Pittsburg State’s scholarship fund, to make school more affordable for students.

“Our main goal for this entire event is to raise money for our students and scholarship dollars,” said Tarynn Brenner, former student body president at Pittsburg State.

Members of the team are doing more than just biking as well. On Saturday, members of the team served the Wichita community, picking up trash along the Arkansas river.

“We do a lot of pick up as we go,” said Shipp. “We have all kinds of bags and equipment and so if we are stopping in towns we pick up trash and try to make parks nicer across the state of Kansas.”

In the end, each say they hope to help those who really want to further their education.

“College is expensive,” said Pulliam. “For us to be able to go out and be able to raise dollars to help field the way for other people who may not be able to afford college, but really want to go, that is really where our hearts are at right now.”

If you would like to donate to the scholarship fund, click on this link.