Florida by Bike
In the summer of 2018, when my brother Charlie and his friend, Walter Clauss, were 15 years old, they rode their bikes to the Jersey Shore. It was a quick day trip, but it felt like an adventure — especially to their parents. As soon as they got back, these adrenaline-chasing teenagers were ready for their next big thing. “We should bike to Florida!” they told each other.
“We should” quickly became “We are going to,” much to the amusement and disbelief of friends and family.
A year later, in the fall of 2019, their plan grew more concrete. They began shopping for equipment and considering what the trip would really look like. They decided that the southernmost point of Florida, Key West, was their best destination. As they contemplated the details, they were inspired to add another element to the adventure: raising money for a good cause.
The cause Charlie and Walter chose was a nonprofit called “Play for the A’s,” founded by Jef Hewlings, their lacrosse coach at Strath Haven High School. Play for the A’s supports caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients (for example, by providing an aide for a day, or helping to renovate part of a house). The boys’ trip now had a name: “Ride for the A’s.”
Over the next year, Walter and Charlie worked hard to get their ducks in a row for their summer 2020 adventure. They contacted extended family members, friends, neighbors, and local businesses to ask for donations, setting a goal of $15,000. They worked with Cycle Fit in Wallingford to prepare their equipment. They also plotted out their route, reached out to potential hosts, and went on a couple of training rides. Their plan was to ride 60 to 70 miles a day and go through eight states — Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. They planned to stay overnight with relatives or friends when possible, and to camp, or check into a motel, when they had to. All told, the trip would take approximately 30 days.
On Wednesday, June 10, they rode out of Swarthmore with friends and family cheering them on, ready to start the adventure of a lifetime.
Back at home, everyone followed the trip eagerly. The riders’ social media accounts provided a tracker showing each day’s destination, along with pictures and an occasional video.
When they got to North Carolina, they stopped to eat at a small town diner, and one of the waiters asked the boys about the matching purple shirts they were sporting. When Walter and Charlie began telling their story, it caught the attention of the entire room. Soon, the whole staff and all the patrons were listening with delight. One customer volunteered to pay for their meal, and another came over to their table to say a prayer over them.
As they continued southward, similar moments followed. More than once, some good Samaritan would approach, wanting to hear their story, then donate to their cause. At one point, a police officer who was driving by stopped to chat with them through his window, and later pulled over and got out of his car to stand at attention and applaud their fortitude.
Not everyone was impressed, though. On the last day, Walter and Charlie were getting ready for the final leg, which included a ferry ride from Fort Myers, Florida, to Key West. But just as they were about to board, a ferry worker stopped them. Because they were under 18, she said, they couldn’t ride the ferry without an accompanying adult. A notarized form from their parents explaining the situation did not impress her.
Discouragement set in. The very last part of the trek seemed impossible. Charlie and Walter looked up flights that would get them from Fort Myers to Key West. The only one available had a layover back in Philadelphia!
Luckily, an early morning call to the ferry company from the boys’ parents worked better than the letter had. Once the ferry’s employee heard the full story, she got on board — and so did the boys.
After the ferry, Walter and Charlie rode the last mile to the state’s southernmost tip, cheered on by tourists they passed along the road. Once there, they met up with members of the Dawes family, who had driven down to join them.
(L to R): Charlie Dawes, Walter Clauss, Coach Jef Hewlings, and Cycle Fit’s Ray Clark.
The ride raised $23,000 for Play for the A’s — almost $10,000 over the original goal. And the timing was great, too. The annual Play for the A’s fundraiser had to be cancelled because of COVID-19, and the funds the boys raised helped make up the deficit.
Since the 22-hour drive with the Dawes family back to Swarthmore, Charlie and Walter have been resting and giving interviews about their adventure. As they prepare for their senior year at SHHS, only one question remains: What will they do next?
