Thursday, October 1, 2026
75 ° Clear
75 ° Clear
Wendi Wiley, a lifelong resident of Penndel and a chemistry and physics teacher at Conwell-Egan Catholic High School in Fairless Hills, received a surprise commendation as a “Hometown Hero” at a Catholic Schools Week assembly in late January.
Wendi has raised more than $59,000 since 2010 as a bicyclist in ‘Bike MS: City to Shore,’ an annual ride from Cherry Hill to Ocean City, New Jersey. The biking event benefits the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
At the assembly, two local politicians each presented Wendi with special citations. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick presented her a recognition plaque and an American flag that ceremoniously flew over the United States Capitol in her honor. Pennsylvania State Representative Joe Hogan presented her with a Certificate of Achievement as an extraordinary educator and citizen, especially for raising funds and awareness for multiple sclerosis. In a separate presentation the following week, Pennsylvania State Senator Frank Farry presented Wendi with a commendation for exemplary service and dedication toward the multiple sclerosis community and commitment to her students and fellow educators.
“I had no idea about all of this, I was really surprised,” said Wendi, who is also active with the Order of Amaranth, a Masonic organization that raises funds for diabetes research and the American Diabetes Association. Wendi runs events throughout the year for Amaranth as well as the City to Shore biking event. Some of these fundraisers include basket raffles, bingo games and holiday-themed luncheons, and dine and donate at local restaurants. In October, she’s running an 18th annual mini-golf outing to benefit diabetes research.
Wendi is a dedicated mentor to her students. She has coached five girls’ bowling teams to championships in the Philadelphia Catholic league and frequently volunteers for various school activities currently at Conwell-Egan and for many years at Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School in Drexel Hill, Delaware County. Wendi also organizes and takes approximately 15 to 25 students and chaperones on international trips abroad. In recent years, Wendi led student groups to Italy, Ireland, and England, with another trip planned in 2027 to France and Spain.
Her fundraising for multiple sclerosis happened by chance at Sesame Place in Middletown Township where she worked for many years seasonally after graduating from Neshaminy High School and while attending the University of Pittsburgh. She also worked at the amusement park on weekends after she became a full-time teacher. She found out that many of her coworkers had participated in the Bike MS event and she wasn’t aware of it.
“One year, a bunch of coworkers came back from a weekend and said that they had just done this bike ride, and I was mad that I didn't get included. So, the next year, I said ‘I'm doing it! In 2010, I signed up for my first shore bike ride. I didn't even own a bike at the time. I had to buy a bike. I bought a Schwinn at Target because I liked the bike’s color. I signed up for the 40-mile ride my first year. You have to raise a minimum of $300, and somehow, I raised $1,000 that first year. That’s how I got started,” Wendi recalled.
In 2025, the City to Shore 2-day bike ride had more than 4,000 participants and raised nearly $4 million. Wendi raised over $5,700 as a City to Shore rider and ranked 85th out of the over 4,000 riders for fundraising totals.
Wendi starts training for the following year’s September cycling event by riding through her neighborhood in Penndel and through Langhorne. She lives in her same childhood home that she purchased from her mother.
“I’m mostly a weekend warrior while school is still in session,” Wendi said. “I have about a five-mile ride that I try to do on the weekends and when school is out, I will go farther and take my bike to Core Creek Park. When you ride around Core Creek, it’s uphill in both directions. So, that’s a good training ride too.”
Wendi said she’s been fortunate over the years and hasn’t had too many obstacles such as bad weather. “Most of the time the weather has been fine. But, last year for the first time I fell off my bike at one of the rest stops. But, the other bikers were funny about it, they said ‘well you’re a part of the club now!’
And, while you’re riding, there's always people riding with you and cheering for you and each other. If I’m having trouble going up a hill, there’s always someone passing me and cheering me on which is kind of a neat thing. Because of my fundraising, I wear a special gold jersey with my name on it. People will literally call out and say ‘good job, Wendi!’ So, it’s great camaraderie.”
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the disease is unpredictable and affects the central nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. MS disrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the rest of the body. Wendi said the interesting part about raising money specifically for multiple sclerosis is that she never knew anyone with the disease until she started participating in the bike marathon.
“When I first signed up, I didn't know anyone living with MS. Now that I've been doing this event for so long, there are now people that I'm riding for because I found out they have MS. So, I do it for them. And, I’m so appreciative of people that donate to my ride over the years. It’s a great event.”
To learn more about multiple sclerosis, visit www.nationalmssociety.org. To learn more about Bike MS: City to Shore or to support Wendi in 2026, visit her fundraising page at events.nationalmssociety.org/participants/782313/donate.
