Bucket 100 raises $5,000 for Habitat

A few hours before the football game on Nov. 17, 35 cyclists from IU and Purdue finished their 122-mile ride from West Lafayette to Bloomington. The riders enjoyed a tailgate celebrating the end of the second annual Bucket 100 Bike Tour, which raised more than $5,000 for Habitat for Humanity.\nPurdue might have had the first rider to cross the finish line, but IU Habitat for Humanity President Jessica Donaldson said the race was not about who posts the best time.\n“It wasn’t really a race at all,” Donaldson said. “We – IU and Purdue – were working as a team to raise money for a worthy cause. That’s all that really matters.”\nThe event raised double the initial goal, which was $2,500. Junior Emily Clarke, the major event director for IU Habitat for Humanity, said that every dollar raised in the event is put into a fund for a $50,000 house to be built by the organization.\nShe added that while the cyclists and donors deserve applause for their efforts, the cooperative relationship between the two schools should not go unnoticed.\n“The Purdue chapter organized the send-off and the overnight stay for the riders, while we put together the tailgate,” Clarke said. “We each did our own part.”\nThe cyclists left Purdue’s Ross-Ade Stadium at 10 a.m. on Nov. 16 and rode 70 miles to Plainfield, Ind., where they rested for the night. They completed the final 52 miles on Nov. 17, arriving in Bloomington at about 1:30 p.m. \nSenior Brittany Henson, a member of Phi Mu’s Little 500 team, rode in the event. She said the bike tour was a fun way to stay in racing shape and help her community at the same time.\n“This was a great time: extra training for me, and it was for a good cause,” Henson said. “Maybe other Little 5 riders will register next year.”\nDonaldson, also a Bucket 100 rider, agreed that it was great to be able to raise both money and awareness for Indiana residents in need of houses.\n“This isn’t about an IU versus Purdue rivalry,” she said, smiling. “Both chapters are getting donations. It’s a win-win.”\nHabitat for Humanity is still accepting donations. People who want to donate should visit www.iuhabitat.org for more information.