Students and Local Community Members Host “Bike for Ben” Fundraiser

Last month, under sunny skies and a slight autumn wind, several fraternity and student organizations — including Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), Alpha Phi, and RPI Cycling — joined with Rensselaer students and members of the local community in a fundraiser to benefit the Troy Bike Rescue organization, in the name of fellow SAE fraternity member Ben Hecht, who was injured recently in a bike accident.

More than 100 individuals participated in the event, held Nov. 20 at the Corning City Preserve near the Albany waterfront. Several chose to ride along the Mohawk-Hudson Bike Trail, an eight-mile round trip between Albany and Watervliet, while others participated in a three-mile run/walk loop that was also offered.

The group plans to donate $800 to Troy Bike Rescue. The organization is a collective of cycling enthusiasts committed to removing bikes from the waste stream and getting them back on the streets. The volunteer-run community bike space organizes DiY bike repair nights, hands-on bicycle education, sliding scale bicycle adoption, and mobile workshops.