Children at the Boys and Girls Club received a first hand look Tuesday at what it really means to live with a disability.

The Journey of Hope cycling team made a two-day stop in Casper to raise awareness about people with disabilities. They performed three skits from their puppet show, "Kids on the Block," which demonstrate that people with disabilities can do anything a normal person can. The show featured Sesame Street-style characters that had Downs Syndrome, cerebral palsy and blindness.

Cyclist Matthew Sloan, a senior at the University of Massachusetts, said the show is one of his favorite parts of the Journey of Hope.

"It's cool to see all the kids enjoy the puppet show," he said.

Eight-year-old Genevieve Santistevan thought it was funny and she learned that "there could be a lot of people with disabilities that makes them different from the rest."

Ben Kaufman, a crew member for the group, said the puppet show is the best way to reach children.

"The purpose is to teach children about people with disabilities," he said. "And a puppet show is really accessible to them. It's a good way to broaden their horizons a little."

The Journey of Hope is a program of Push America, the national philanthropy of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, which raises funds and awareness for people with disabilities. The team spent two days in Casper hanging out with kids at the Boys and Girls Club, eating with the Kiwanis Club and having a barbecue in Washington Park with the Arc of Natrona County. They left early this morning to bike 110 miles to their next stop in Wheatland. The team consists of 22 Pi Kappa Phi fraternity members from around the country. They plan to travel 4,000 miles over 67 days to Washington, D.C.

"It feels like we've gone through five different states, traveling across Wyoming," said Sloan. "Little towns, mountains, desert, snow, 95 degree weather. It's really been a great experience."

The team started in Seattle on June 7 and will finish in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 14. The Journey of Hope has no cycling prerequisites.

"Most of these guys are not seasoned cyclists," Kaufman said. "A lot of them haven't touched a bike since they were four."

Kaufman said the team travels 75 miles each day on average and spends its nights in high school gyms. It awakens daily at 5:30 a.m.

But for Sloan, the good outweighs the bad.

"We always hear that we inspire people, but it's so exciting to see what other people are doing for disabilities," he said. "(Journey of Hope) combines service and an awesome trip. You can't beat that."

Reach reporter Riane Menardi at (307) 266-0610 or riane.menardi@trib.com

For more information on Journey of Hope or Push America, visit www.pushamerica.org