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Five students and three faculty members came together to form the Indiana University School of Optometry Benefit Bicycle Team in the spring of 2007. Their first ride was the 75K American Diabetes Association "Tour de Cure." Their fundraising total of $2655 made them one of the top 10 teams in the state! Team members went on to benefit other charities by signing up for the Indianapolis Zoo Ride and the Hoosier Hills benefit rides in the fall of 2007.
Bloomington is known for its excellent road and mountain biking, and it has a rich cycling history (Little 500, etc). Weekly team training rides in the hilly countryside outside Bloomington ensure that the Benefit Bicycle Team riders are ready for the more challenging benefit rides. They wear custom "Indiana Optometry" bike jerseys to show off school colors. When people watch the team roll by, they can see that the IU School of Optometry works for charity.
The team recently participated in the Hilly Hundred benefit bike ride (October 13 and 14, 2007). The Hilly Hundred, a long-time Bloomington tradition, includes two 50-mile rides in one weekend.
The team is recruiting new members. Are you up to the challenge of working up a sweat for a good cause? If you are a cyclist and are interested in checking out the team's weekly rides, e-mail Mark Cannon at mjcannon@indiana.edu.
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