|
Lawnmower-riding boy reaches Washington
September 26, 1997
Web posted at: 6:53 p.m. EDT (2253 GMT)WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Ending his cross-country journey on a lawnmower, 12-year-old Ryan Tripp rode into the nation's capital and accomplished something few politicians have done: he trimmed the Capitol.
Well, sort of. Tripp clipped the west front lawn of the U.S. Capitol Thursday after riding more than 3,000 miles on a gigantic, twin-engine mower. He was riding to set the long-distance world record on a mower
"I went over to the library and got a book, and they had a record in there for a man that drove 2,034 miles," he said. "So we planned a route ... about 3,200 miles."
Tripp, of Beaver, Utah, spent 42 days driving across the nation on the gleaming yellow mower to raise money for a family friend's infant who needs a liver transplant. Two-month-old Whitnie Pender has a rare disease called biliary atresia, which prevents her liver from functioning properly.
Twelve-year-old Ryan Tripp rides his lawnmower through Washington
824K/30 sec. QuickTime movie
Tripp has raised about $4,000 for her, a figure far short of his $250,000 goal. Tripp, who missed five weeks of school, hopes an appearance on David Letterman will help boost donations.
During the long journey, Tripp woke at 6 a.m. every morning and rode along the shoulders of roads until about 10 mph (16 kph) until 8 p.m. or 9 p.m.
Asked Thursday how he would respond the next time his dad asks him to cut the yard, Tripp said, "I'm going to tell him no."
Donations to the Whitnie Pender Fund can be made to the Utah Independent Bank in Beaver at 801-438-2433.
Related stories:
- Ryan's excellent lawnmower adventure - September 12, 1997
- Drug therapy may reduce liver transplants - September 19, 1997
Related site:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser windowExternal sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
|
Sound off on our message boards
You said it... |
|
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.