Matthew Bursey cycled across the continent to increase awareness and support for adults with developmental disabilities. Inspired by his sister who has Down Syndrome, Matt raised over $62,000 for The Salvation Army’s Lawson Ministries new autism centre, which is located in Hamilton, Ont.

Matt departed from Hamilton on April 3, and spent the next five months riding 12,000 kilometres across the USA and Canada. On August 18, the developmental needs worker returned to a hero’s welcome at Lawson Ministries.

“I found a lot of success in reaching individuals and engaging them in conversation about disabilities,” says Matt. “It's always interesting to see how people relate themselves to someone with a disability or share a story of someone they know. This is great to hear, it reminds me of the crew back at Lawson Ministries and of others close to me.”

The Salvation Army’s Lawson Ministries is a community-based, residential support program designed to support adults with dual diagnosis including developmental disabilities and psychiatric issues. Lawson’s programs include supported independent living, shared group living, apartment programs, and an individualized day program.

“People often talk about how much people struggle with disabilities at first,” says Matt. “But they usually also talk about how they have so much to offer and how much promise they have. It's great to see so many people recognizing the potential and teaching me about different situations they have encountered”.

“We are amazed in a number of ways concerning Matt,” says Major Byron Jacobs, Divisional Secretary for Public Relations & Development, Ontario Great Lakes Div. “We’re amazed at what he wanted to take on, amazed at his push to finish this in such great time and amazed that his resolve to raise the awareness on the issue is so strong. This is not the norm for most people, this is extraordinary. We are proud of Matt.”

Throughout the Far & Wide Bike Trek, Matt found opportunities to speak at schools, centres and with individuals about the importance of enhancing the lives of people with developmental disabilities.

“I pray that if I talked to someone with negative viewpoints about people with disabilities, I was able to make them more accepting about integrating them into the community,” says Matt. “Overall, I feel I was successful in bringing awareness to some of the issues that people with disabilities encounter.”

For more information about the Far & Wide Bike Trek, please visit Matt’s blog. 

Top photo: Matt arrives at Lawson Ministries after riding 12,000 kilometres across North America; middle: Matt and his sister; bottom: Matt receives a signed photo from well-wishers