Unity Ride postponed

Cold weather and slick roads have delayed the first annual Jill Behrman Unity Ride, sponsored by Delta Upsilon. The ride, which was to take place this Saturday, has been postponed to March 30 in hopes of better weather.\nThe noncompetitive ride follows a course through southern Bloomington, a favorite riding area of Jill's. Starting at Jackson Street Middle School, the ride makes an 11-mile loop and ends back at the school. Brian Behrman, Jill's brother and Delta Upsilon alumnus, said the course will take riders where his sister loved to ride.\n"The south end of town is where my sister loved to ride," he said. "In fact, the first mile or so of the route is probably where she was riding that morning (she disappeared)."\nBiking was a favorite pastime of Jill, who disappeared May 31, 2000, while riding before work. Her bike was found June 5, 2000, but there has been no further trace of her.\nThe event is a fundraiser for Jill's House, a nonprofit organization that, once complete, will provide lodging for patients undergoing outpatient therapy for cancer at the IU Proton Therapy facility. Aaron Pitzele, Delta Upsilon event coordinator, said the center will provide much-needed assistance for those suffering from cancer.\n"(Jill's House) is a project that will provide a home-like residence for patients at the Proton Therapy facility," he said.\nPitzele said the event has seen positive responses from the campus and the community.\n"Many of the houses on campus are participating, and the ones that are not had prior commitments," he said. "We are hoping for 150 participants."\nMatt Weisseg, Delta Upsilon vice-president of public relations, said the event has been planned for a long time.\n"We've wanted to do something since Jill disappeared," he said. "DU wants to show our support for Brian and his entire family. This specific event was conceived about seven months ago, and we have been working hard to make it happen."\nPitzele said Jill became a fixture at DU while her brother lived in the house.\n"Jill visited often when her brother was living in the house," he said. "She became friends with many of the guys."\nBehrman agreed. He said Jill became "one of the guys."\n"She came over a lot and became friends with a lot of the brothers," he said. "She even went on her spring break vacation with the DU guys."\nBehrman also said he is touched by the effort his brothers have put towards this event.\n"I'm so glad that they are putting forth this much effort, and that they're doing this for my family," he said. "It's great because many of these guys don't know me, but they're still giving their time and effort to help a brother that they don't know."\nApplications for the Jill Behrman Unity Ride are available at http://www.indiana.edu/~duwebpg/rideforjill.html. The cost is $15 if pre-registered and $18 at the ride.