AE Alumnus Don Hagan

Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering School alumnus Don Hagan has found a way to combine his two passions: bikes and kids.

During the months of March and April, the retired Southern Company nuclear engineer will ride his bike from San Diego, California to St. Augustine, Florida as a way to raise money for the Presbyterian Home for Children in Talladega, Alabama. At a penny-a-mile, his roughly 3,000-mile journey should be quite helpful to the 152-year-old home that cares for children and families.

“This isn’t a Go Fund Me ride. This is a ‘Go Fund Them’ ride,” said Hagan, 72, who earned a BSAE and a MSME from Tech. “I’m paying my own way out and back. Every penny for every mile goes to the kids.”

Hagan has been riding regularly since 2004, but he said he needed “something I could believe in” to get over the anxiety of being away from home and family for 52 days and riding an average of 65 miles a day. “And there’s nothing more important than children,” he said.

Doug Marshall, president of the Home praised Hagan's efforts:

“We are overwhelmed with gratitude for donors like Don who help us provide a path of hope and a place of healing for the children and families entrusted to us.”

Hagan will be riding with a tour of more than 40 riders from the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The youngest rider is 50. The oldest is 82.  For many, it’s fulfilling an item on their “bucket list.” For Hagan, it’s an adventure.

“I guess if was born 200 years ago, I would be on the Lewis and Clark expedition, and 200 years in the future, I’d be on a star ship,” Hagan said. “I love being on a road I’ve never been down before. I’ve had eagles follow me and foxes stare at me. Most people would never know there are llamas, alpacas and dwarf cows in Alabama. If you’re riding at bike speed, you see amazing things.”

You can follow Hagan's progress at https://www.facebook.com/ChildrensC2CCyclingChallenge/