Sometimes the best lessons are caught rather than taught, and Villa Maria Academy soccer coach Gary Christopher is setting an example for how to help people with his “Wish Across America” bicycle ride from coast to coast.

The Downingtown man has raised $11,000 for the Philadelphia chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and culminated his cross-country trek on his 61st birthday, according to a Main Line Media News report by Bruce Adams.

“I try to pass along the message to the kids that I train and coach that you’ve got to take advantage of opportunities (to help people) and run with them,” Christopher said.

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He is not only a Villa Maria soccer coach; he’s also president of the Athletic Performance Academy in West Chester.

Christopher and former college teammate Phil Good, with logistics help from Phoenixville’s Sean Crossland, embarked from the Pacific Ocean at Astoria, Ore., on May 22 en route to the Atlantic Ocean at Avalon, N.J., on July 28.

“Not only is our country’s scenery beautiful from coast to coast, but the people we’ve met all along the way have been awesome,” said Christopher. “They’re inquisitive, interested in our cause, and have really welcomed us into their communities.”

Read more about the coast-to-coast “Wish Across America” in the Main Line Media News here.

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