“IT WAS A beautiful, big blue-sky day with no wind and plenty of bananas for everyone.”

At first, one might think this is a description of a picnic, or possibly even a day in the monkey cage of a zoo.

But it’s much more important than that.

This is a quote taken from a Web site dedicated to the Students for a Better World Boomerang Bike Ride that took place on Oct. 28.

The site was put up by Joanne Kaczmarek, a friend of physical education teacher Rebecca Murphy's. It provides information about the bike ride, which raised more than $500 for A Woman’s Fund. It also includes pictures taken after the ride.

A Woman’s Fund is an umbrella organization consisting of A Woman’s Place and Rape Crisis Services. The mission of the organization is to stop violence against women and children, and to provide a safe and supportive environment to those recovering from violence.

The motto of the bike ride was "What goes around comes around" — a fitting summary of the proactive service philosophies of both A Woman's Fund and S4BW.

Three routes were offered at the bike ride: a 10-mile course, a 25-mile course, and a 42-mile course. Most people opted for the 42-mile course, which took the riders near the towns of Augerville, Wilbure Heights, Leverett, Bondville, and Savoy close to Willard Airport.

The maps were compiled by senior Ethan Stone, a competitive biker, who, with his experience, knows the area very well.

“Ethan was invaluable in planning this ride — his insight on the ride was invaluable and the routes he mapped were amazing!” said senior Eunice How, president of S4BW, and head organizer of the bike ride.

Thirty people turned up for the ride this year, which was more than originally expected. S4BW also raised $334 more this time than the last bike ride, which took place in the spring.

“We would call this a success compared to the spring — both were successes, but this year we raised $535 as compared to $201 in the spring,” said How.

The bike ride was co-sponsored by Cardinal Fitness, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, Strawberry Fields, Nutrition on the Move, and Body n' Sole.

The Boomerang Bike Ride will become a biannual event. There will be one in the spring geared more toward families while the one in the fall will be geared toward more experienced riders.

In addition to organizing the ride, How also collaborated with senior Shara Esbenshade to create an online activism calendar for the Uni community.

The calendar went online earlier this month to provide information about progressive social and political activities in the area, ranging from lectures and movie screenings to fundraising activities and protest rallies.

To access the new calendar, go from the Uni home page to the calendar section, then click on the "1Club" option from the list of available calendars. If you know of an event that isn't listed, e-mail Esbenshade and How at cuactivismcalendar@gmail.com.

For more information about S4BW's mission and past and upcoming events, check out the bulleting board in the north stairwell between the second and third floors.

Carrie Melin (left) and Sharon Michalove were two participants in S4BW's Boomerang Bike Ride. Photo courtesy Joanne Kaczmarek (used with permission)