URBANA — What goes around, comes around.

That's the motto of Saturday's Boomerang Bike Ride, organized by Uni High's Students for a Better World.

Starting at 8 a.m., S4BW will hold its third community bike ride in a year to raise money for A Woman's Fund, an umbrella organization that provides rape crisis services and a shelter for women escaping from domestic violence.

Registration and check-in will take place at the Lincoln Square Mall's east main entrance (outside of Cardinal Fitness), in downtown Urbana. Riders can register online in advance at Nutrition on the Move.

The cost is $15 per rider and $5 for the first two children in a family. All other children get in free. Helmets are required.

Options to Choose From

The first riders will begin departing at 8, and the last will leave by noon. Riders can choose from one of three different courses: 16.9 miles, 45.6 miles, and 67.2 miles.

Detailed maps of the courses will be available at the check-in site. Snacks and drinks will be provided at the registration table and at rest stops along the courses.

S4BW members have become well-versed in organizing bike rides during the past year. The group's first ride was held April 28, 2007, followed by a second one on Oct. 28.

In the fall, S4BW's ride offered courses that covered 10 miles, 25 miles, and 42 miles, all of them mapped out by competitive biker Ethan Stone, a Uni senior. Most people opted for the 42-mile course, which took the riders near the towns of Augerville, Leverett, Bondville, and Savoy, close to Willard Airport.

The October ride attracted about 30 participants and was geared toward more experienced bikers. This time, S4BW is aiming at another audience.

"We're really targeting elementary school kids," said junior Rachel Hyman, S4BW vice president. "By Friday, hopefully, every elementary schooler in Champaign and Urbana will go home with a flier in their backpack."

The Good Cause

Each of the rides has had a common thread: support for A Woman's Fund.

"They are working to eliminate violence against women and children and to provide safety and support to survivors of that violence as they take control of their own lives," said S4BW president Eunice How.

Added Hyman: "We decided to do this because the issues of rape and abuse aren't things that are openly discussed in society, and we wanted to bring attention to those issues and raise awareness."

Riders can collect pledges to support their efforts. The top 10 pledge raisers will win an authentic Australian boomerang.

Hyman said she hopes the ride will raise $300 to $400. According to How, last fall's ride raised $535, and the ride last spring raised $201.

This year's sponsors include Nutrition on the Move, Strawberry Fields, Body N' Sole, Panera Bread, Great Harvest, Atlanta Bread Co., Schnucks, Durst, Champaign Cycle, Clif Bar, PowerBar, ISCorp, and Specialized (bike components).

Saturday's event is just the latest in S4BW's many activities. Besides the two previous bike rides, S4BW held a Cajun Dinner on Feb. 15 in support of an elementary school in New Orleans damaged by Hurricane Katrina. S4BW also sponsors the annual December candygram sales, has held a toiletry drive for A Woman's Fund, and has sponsored food sales, including Wednesday's dumpling sale.