from Michael Russo of The Athletic,

For as long as Dan O’Rourke can remember, his dad has been visually impaired.

But there’s not one time that he recalls him saying, “No, I can’t do that because I can’t see.”

That meant coaching Dan, now one of the NHL’s most experienced referees, and his brother, Steve, an associate coach for the Oshawa Generals, in hockey. That meant playing catch in the backyard, with his sons hoping to hell that they didn’t nail Dad right between the eyes. And yes, that even meant driving a wee bit longer in life than he probably should have in their tiny, one-stoplight town in British Columbia....

Seeing all that his father, now 75, has overcome served as an inspiration for O’Rourke, and this summer, he’s taking that inspiration and channeling it into a cause.

O’Rourke is teaming up with the National Federation of the Blind in setting off on a 42-day bike ride, planning to cover more than 2,700 miles along iconic Route 66 — starting in Santa Monica, Calif., on July 27, and ending in Chicago on Sept. 6, not long before O’Rourke and his officiating brethren head off to training camp.

The money Dan raises through contributions in the name of his “Ride for Literacy” will go directly to help blind children, with an NFB goal of $250,000 to fund everything from Brail literacy and technology learning to really anything that helps them fulfill their lifelong dreams.

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