Biking event to raise funds for local Hillel

‘Ride to Provide’ ties in connections with Sukkot
September 27, 2007

This Sunday will be the start of a new fall tradition for the New England Jewish community. The University of Massachusetts Amherst Hillel is sponsoring its first annual Sukkot “Ride to Provide” on Sept. 30 to support the community service programs and environmentally friendly projects of UMass Hillel. State Senator Stan Rosenberg and Jewish community leaders will be on hand for this special event.

Riders will collect sponsors and pledges to participate in either a 10-mile or 23-mile bike ride through the autumn foliage of Amherst, Hadley and Sunderland, with rest stops and snacks at neighboring sukkot. The event will culminate with a post-ride festival on the grounds of the UMass Hillel House at 388 North Pleasant St., Amherst.
Full details for riding, volunteering and pledging can be found online at www.umasshillel.org/ridetoprovide.
“We are hoping this event will bring people together to celebrate the season, community and family in a healthy and positive way, while also supporting the many wonderful service projects performed by the students of UMass Hillel,” said Betsy Bertuzzi of Longmeadow, who is the “Ride to Provide” chairperson and mother of UMass senior Matt Bertuzzi.
The proceeds from the “Ride” will enable UMass Hillel students to participate in a variety of social service projects. According to the organizers, there is a natural connection between the programs that “Ride to Provide” proceeds will support and the holiday of Sukkot.

“On Sukkot we build and dwell in temporary shelters,” said Bertuzzi. “On ‘Ride to Provide,’ we’re raising money to help others get out of the temporary shelters they have been in for two years [FEMA trailers] by sending our students on Alternative Spring Break to rebuild their homes.

“On Sukkot we stress hospitality, welcoming in the ancestors [ushpizin] and other guests into our sukkot. On ‘Ride to Provide,’ we are raising money to enable our students to practice the values of hospitality and caring for others in need through our “Meals on Wheels” program.

“On Sukkot we remember when our people were wandering in the desert without permanent homes. On ‘Ride to Provide,’ we are raising money for our students’ program [Challah for a Dollah’] to benefit those in need of homes and safety in Darfur.

“Sukkot puts us in close contact with the natural world as we eat and even sleep in the sukkah. Our ‘Ride to Provide’ will benefit projects at Hillel that help preserve our natural world through energy efficiency.”
In addition to visiting a sukkah, there will be activities on the theme of Sukkot for participants of all ages. Kolot, UMass Hillel’s 20-student a cappella group, will perform. Lunch will be available for all participants. 

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