Columbus State University News

Miracle Riders mount up for 9,300-mile ‘Pony Express’ motorcycle ride benefiting nursing education program

May 1, 2026

Outdoor event at Frank D. Brown Hall. Large letters on the side of the modern glass-and-concrete building identify the hall. A diverse crowd and a line of motorcycles are visible in the plaza and street below.

It was “kickstands up” on the morning of May 1 for Scott Ressmeyer and the Miracle Riders as they began their annual three-week cross-country motorcycle trek on behalf of Columbus State University’s School of Nursing. This year’s 14 riders departed from Frank D. Brown Hall on the university’s RiverPark Campus, with plans to return the evening of Friday, May 22, to an Uptown Columbus welcome-home celebration and concert.

In March, the Miracle Riders announced they had reached their $1 million fundraising goal to benefit Columbus State’s College of Education & Health Professions. Since first partnering with Columbus State in 2021, the Miracle Riders’ fundraising has established three separate clinical simulation labs that provide training for nursing students, practicing nurses, first responders and others who provide direct medical care to infants, children and expectant mothers.

“What the Miracle Riders have done for Columbus State University has helped to support one of our core strategic priorities and the most vital parts of our mission: student success,” said Dr. Dustin Anderson, provost and chief academic officer. “The way in which they have helped us advance hands-on nursing instruction and learning—there’s no way to underscore how vital and important their contributions have been. They are helping our next generation of nurses prepare to be the best.”

A speaker addresses a crowd from a Columbus State University podium during an outdoor event. He is wearing a dark blue blazer over a white shirt. The background shows several attendees listening attentively.Provost & Chief Academic Officer Dustin Anderson addresses the Miracle Riders and supporters assembled at Frank Brown Hall.

This year’s ride—their fourth on Columbus State’s behalf—continues last year’s Pony Express theme. Riders will cover more than 9,300 miles, delivering personal greetings from family and friends back home in the same spirit as their famous Pony Express predecessors like “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Robert “Pony Bob” Haslam and Johnny Fry.

An iconic symbol of the Old West, the Pony Express operated for 18 months beginning in 1860, delivering mail on horseback and reducing the time for messages to travel between the East and West coasts of the U.S. to about 10 days. In their modern take on the Pony Express, the Miracle Riders will mount their steel horses and make stops in 16 states, delivering approximately 30 postcards during the 21-day road trip. An additional eight regional riders will deliver personal greetings to people in Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

Close-up of a speaker at a Columbus State University event. The man, identified by a patch as 'Scott,' is wearing a leather motorcycle-style vest over a jacket and a cap. He is smiling into a microphone while standing behind a university-branded podium.

Ressmeyer (pictured), the founder of the Miracle Ride and co-owner of Country’s Barbecue, said the riders were overwhelmed by the impact of last year’s Pony Express ride and expect the same meaningful experience this year.

“It’s the individuals who come up to us on the road and give us $5, $10, their lunch money for the day—they want to be a part of something bigger, that reflects giving,” Ressmeyer said. “We travel this country every year, and I’ve seen nothing but people’s generosity, giving and loving. That’s the best part of this trip, to be able to experience that firsthand.”

About the Miracle Ride

The Miracle Ride began in 2009 when Scott Ressmeyer set out alone on a cross-country ride through the 48 contiguous states to celebrate his 50th birthday and raise funds for the Children’s Hospital at Midtown Medical Center in Columbus. Over the next six years, an additional 29 motorcyclists—each paying all their own cross-country trip expenses, averaging $5,000 per trip—joined the ride, raising $1.2 million for the hospital’s pediatric services.

“These men have given of their time, reached into their own wallets and taken three weeks away from their families to go tell the story about the kids in our community—kids in high-risk nurseries, in pediatric hospitals, or future nursing students who are going to take care of our kids,” Ressmeyer said of his fellow Miracle Riders. “They all do it for one reason—from the heart. And if you do something from the heart, you have impact.”

After meeting their initial goal, the riders broadened their fundraising efforts to include other local services for children. In 2015, they established the Miracle Ride Fund at the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley and have since raised more than $1.6 million for the fund. Since the inaugural ride in 2009, Scott and the riders have raised more than $3.2 million for children’s services.

Photos from the Miracle Riders’ announcement are on the university’s Flickr account. For more information and to follow the riders on their trip, visit the Miracle Riders’ website and connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.

Media contacts: Columbus State University: Michael Tullier, APR; Miracle Riders: Marion Scott