Philadelphia Police Officer Attempting Cross-Country Bike Ride
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- What's the longest bike ride you ever went on? Not a motorcycle, a bike. Probably not 3,000 miles.
Six-year Philadelphia Police Department veteran Anthony Case and his cousin Scott Kanehl are riding from Venice Beach, California to Atlantic City, NJ. That's a 3,000 mile bike ride -- 100 miles per day for 30 days.
Case, who currently works as a cop in the 22nd district near Temple University, joined Angelo Cataldi on Thursday's 94WIP Morning Show.
Case also started a gofundme page where he hopes to raise $5,000 for The Survivors Fund through the Fraternal Order of Police. The funds will help provide financial assistance and support to the families of Philadelphia police officers who have been injured or killed in the line of duty.
When asked how he feels about leaving for the ride, Case said, "I'm looking at this as a once in a lifetime adventure for a very important cause."
Update: Tuesday, May 17th
Where are you right now?
"It's 5:30 in the morning, but we're in ucapaia state park in California...104 miles we rode yesterday."
"Before we checked into our hotel, before we set our bikes up, before we did anything in California we went right to In-N-Out Burger and we ordered six of them...phenomenal."
Update: Friday, May 20th
Case tells a funny story about running out of water and exchanging words with Arizona Diamondback fans.
Q: Where are you right now?
"Last night, we got to Kaman, Arizona."
Q: One thing have you learned so far?
"I learned that it's extremely hot in the desert...so we're waking up earlier in the day. We're already up and riding right now [5:30am PFT] to try to cut out everything after two o'clock [pm]."
Q: Any wildlife?
"The only wildlife I encountered so far was the Oakland Raiders fans and the Arizona Cardinals fans."
Update: Tuesday, May 24th
"It just seems like most of this country is a desert after riding your bike for so long. It never, never ends," Case said. "Right now we're in New Mexico and coming up next we're in Texas, so it'll be two states in a row without a football team."
Still on pace?
"We are exactly 774 miles away from where we started," Case said. "We are right on pace. From Venice Beach, California we have gone just under 100 miles a day to get to 774 and that's exactly where we need to be right now."
Update: Friday, May 27th
Anthony sent CBSPhilly.com screen shots of two special donations, thanks to the power of 94WIP
Q: Where are you now in New Mexico?
"Right now, we're at motel -- a little one off the road, so there's pink neon lights off the side of route 66."
Q: And what have you encountered?
"New Mexico has been really good to us. A lot of hills, good weather, good food we ate great here. They're famous for the green chili so we've been eating a lot of green chili burgers, green chili burritos. Everything has green chili on it."
Q: Any wildlife?
"Nothing. I feel like the wildlife knows about it us, like 'There's the Philly guys let's stay away.'"
Q: How far?
"At this point we're about 940 miles from the Pacific Ocean."
Q: What are the big hills like?
"The road that we've already done, I think has to be the hardest. There was one section of road in California that's called nine curve and that was actually 3.2 miles of grade 8 uphill. I don't think we're gonna see, we'll hopefully, anything else like that."
Update: Wednesday, June 1st
"Guess what, today is the halfway mark," Case said.
Q: Wildlife story?
"I've seen a lot. I saw a New Mexican antelope. It was unlike anything I've ever seen. It was just standing there on the side of the road, we locked eyes, and I quickly consulted my google and found out what it was."
"There is cattle upon cattle everywhere. So, as I was riding along, they're all hanging out on the side of the road and they're just staring at you. So I was like, 'I gotta make some contact with these guys.' So as I'm riding along I just kinda said, 'Hey now, hey now!' in my best cowboy voice. And sure enough, they started moving. They started following me. These things are stampeding along the side of the highway as I'm riding my bike alongside of them."
Case was about $1,000 short of his GoFundMe goal, but Frank called into the 94WIP Morning Show on Wednesday to change that.
"For the officer, Angelo I'm getting ready to retire after a 26-year in federal law enforcement," Frank said. "And what he's doing is so important because, I'll tell you, it's really a tough profession now of days. So many cops out there are trying to do the right thing and are getting second-guessed and all. So what he's doing is so important for their families and all.
So he said he was about $1,000 short from his goal, well at the end of June I'll be retiring and I'm gonna make that $1,000 donation to put him over the top."
Update: Tuesday, June 7th
While in St. Louis, Anthony Case made a sign to pay tribute to Ryan Howard.
"I just thought it was something good to do," Case said. "I was in Ryan's hometown, crossing the Mississippi [river], and I was like you know what let's give this guy a shoutout. He's done so much for the Phillies and so much for Philadelphia, I just wanted to say hey man I'm a fan. And you've been the pride of Philadelphia since 2004."
Update: Friday, June 10th
Case is now is Centerville, Indiana, about 720 miles from Philadelphia.
"I feel great. My legs aren't tired. My body is sore is different places...but I feel great. Right now it's just the adrenaline and the thrill of the entire challenge is starting to sink in."
Update: Monday, June 20th
Case finished his bike ride and was back in Philadelphia on Friday night. He celebrated at Del Frisco's.
"It's mind over matter. Get on the bike and don't stop pedaling."
