Adelphi University Alumna Sarah O'Connor Bikes Cross-Country for a Cause

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - Sept. 1, 2017 - PRLog -- Adelphi University alumna and fashion model Sarah O'Connor '16 is spending her summer a little differently than most twenty year-olds.

Instead of taking the summer to relax, O'Connor is biking 4,000 miles across the country from the George Washington Bridge to Los Angeles to raise money for a charity close to her heart—the Interfaith Nutrition Network (INN).

The Hempstead-based nonprofit operates soup kitchens, emergency shelters and long-term housing across Long Island. On top of her modeling career, which she has been doing since she was 14 and now models for five different agencies in New York and Milan, O'Connor has been volunteering for the INN since she was in elementary school. When she was young, her church would do a yearly sandwich making event for the charity, then during her high school years at Sacred Heart Academy, all of their food drives were to benefit the INN.

It was at Adelphi through, studying history, when O'Connor realized just how much of an impact the INN had on the community where - just ten minutes away from the Garden City campus -   the soup kitchen serves nutritious meals to hundreds of people on a daily basis.

O'Connor's goal is to raise $25,000 for the INN, so far her and her bike mate Joey Karp have raised $9,044 with 91 contributions for their "Pedaling for a Purpose" fundraiser, which you can donate online.

"Essentially, the statement is that in every town, in every state, somebody is hungry," explained O'Connor about why they chose to ride bikes cross-country to fundraise. "My hope is that people will be intrigued by the ride and take a few moments to read about the INN and their mission to help the hungry and the homeless."

Their journey has its challenges though, but for O'Connor she has to continually push herself past her limits in order to reach Los Angeles by September despite various misadventures and experiences.

"I was chased by a dog in Kentucky that bit my shoe before I managed to get away," explained O'Connor. "There was one night that I had to camp in a public park because the fire station we were supposed to stay at wasn't open and during the night, a bug bit my eye. So, I woke up with my eye swollen shut and had to ride with one eye for the next couple of days."

Along with dog and bug bites, O'Connor also discussed the challenges of riding a bicycle in extreme temperatures and treacherous terrain - just recently she biked up seventy miles over the Ozark Mountains in 90 degree heat, her most difficult day yet of the journey.

"Riding across the country has been one of the most physically and mentally challenging experiences of my life," said O'Connor, who we spoke with at the 850 mile mark into her ride. "I wake up at 4:00 A.M. and ride my bike for ten to 12 hours, whether it's raining or it's 90 degrees outside."

It's all worth it for O'Connor though, who has encountered many interesting people with some offering words of encouragement and donations to her cause.

"I have been blown away by the amount of amazing people that I have met and meeting new people every day is no doubt my favorite part of the trip," said O'Connor. "In Kentucky, the fireman in Hindman let us store our bikes in their station for three days when a part of my bike broke and I had to stop riding to wait for a part to come in the mail. They helped us find a place to stay and drove us there and back to Hindman when the part arrived so we could continue our journey. Just yesterday, I met a biker at a hostel who is riding his bike about 15,000 miles, looping all the way around the nation."

On August 14, 2017, O'Connor made it to the end of her journey traveling through 15 states and raising a total of $12,421 and making it to the end of Route 66 in Santa Monica, California.

Donate to Sarah O'Connor's cause at Pedal for a Purpose (https://bikeinn.mydagsite.com/).

About Adelphi: A modern metropolitan university with a personalized approach to higher learning.

Adelphi University is a highly awarded, nationally ranked, powerfully connected doctoral research university offering exceptional liberal arts and sciences programs and professional training with particular strength in its Core Four—Arts and Humanities, STEM and Social Sciences, the Business and Education Professions, and Health and Wellness. Adelphi is dedicated to transforming students' lives through small classes, hands-on learning and innovative ways to support student success.

Founded in Brooklyn in 1896, Adelphi is Long Island's oldest private coeducational university. Today Adelphi serves over 7,600 students at its beautiful main campus in Garden City, New York—just 23 miles from New York City's cultural and internship opportunities—and at dynamic learning hubs in Manhattan, the Hudson Valley and Suffolk County, and online.

More than 100,000 Adelphi graduates have gained the skills to thrive professionally as active, caring citizens, making their mark on the University, their communities and the world.