Jacob Immitt, a 2023 Livingston High School graduate, departs Wednesday with his fraternity brothers for a 560-mile cycling journey from Niagara Falls to Manhattan — riding not just for the challenge, but to raise money for people with disabilities along the way.

The ride ahead.

Immitt, a rising senior in the Honors College mechanical engineering program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, rides with his fraternity Pi Kappa Phi's Beta Alpha chapter as part of the annual Gear Up New York event. The team starts pedaling from Niagara Falls on Aug. 1 at 7:30 a.m. and expects to reach Manhattan by Aug. 9 — over a week on the road covering the length of the state.

A cause bigger than the mileage.

The ride benefits The Ability Experience, Pi Kappa Phi's national philanthropy, which has raised more than $30 million since 1977, with its cycling events alone generating over $700,000 each summer for programs supporting people with disabilities. More than 100 Pi Kappa Phi members take on similar cycling trips each summer through the organization, which has run these rides since 1988.

What Immitt's actually looking forward to.

Along the route, Immitt and his teammates will stop at service organizations that work directly with people with disabilities — what the group calls "friendship visits," and what Immitt says he's anticipating most. "Participating in Gear Up New York felt like the perfect way to combine my passion for endurance challenges with serving others," he said. "I'm especially looking forward to the friendship visits along the route, where we'll spend time with organizations that support people with disabilities."

How Livingston can help before he even leaves.

Residents who want to support the ride can donate through Immitt's personal fundraising page at support.abilityexperience.org. The window is short — donations close July 28, just one day before the team sets out.