Alfred University ‘Reunion Bikers’ Recruiting for 2024 Ride

group of bicyclists in front of a brick building — Alfred University Reunion Bikers, shown here at the 2010 Reunion are, from left: Steve Crandall ’76, retired dean of libraries; Tim Cox, associate professor of English; the late Jack Heims ’60; David De Graff, professor of astronomy; the late Ed Law ’58, a sponsor of the Reunion Bikers; John Hosford, art librarian, Scholes Library; Roger Eiss ’58; Gary Roberts, chief information officer, Information Technology Services; Andy Seaman ’58; Garrett McGowan, professor of chemistry; Addison Frey, retired professor of mathematics; and Kathy Woughter, former vice president of Student Affairs.

The Alfred University “Reunion Bikers,” a group of alumni who spend the week preceding reunion weekend bicycling to Alfred, are looking for bikers for this year’s trip to campus.

Join us in a tradition that was started by a handful of adventurers from the class of 1958 who decided to bicycle from the Philadelphia area to Alfred University for their 40^th reunion in 1998. They did it again for their 45^th and 50^th reunions choosing different routes in most years. By 2010 the ride had become a tradition (and was opened up to other classes) and has continued each year since except 2020 when the reunion was canceled due to Covid-19.

So far, we have a small handful of veteran bikers who have expressed interest in this year’s ride. They include Roberta Auerbach ’74 who will be returning for her 50^th reunion to become a “Golden Saxon”; Terry Kiff ’84 and Donna Bruschi ’84, who will be returning for their 40^th reunion. The ride has become popular for alums returning to Alfred for their honored year reunions. This year those years are the ones ending in 4 and 9. We are hoping Roberta, Terry, and Donna will find some of their classmates interested in joining us.

The group is still considering options for this year’s ride. However, we will start gathering during the weekend before Reunion Weekend on Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2. We will bike during the week with a final “Victory Ride” on Friday morning, June 7, into Alfred from Hornell with an anticipated arrival at the King Alfred Statue at noon. Stay tuned for future announcements concerning the ride details in E-news.

It is with sadness we note the passing of our longtime sponsor-at-large, Ed Law. Ed passed away on October 20, 2023, after a short illness. He was associated with the class of 1958 having attended Alfred for two years as a biology major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and sociology. Ed was very generous providing stipends to the drivers of support vehicles of the bike ride.

Ed Law at Reunion ride 2023 at Letchworth State Park — The late Ed Law ’58, a sponsor of the Alfred University Reunion Bikers, is shown above (at right, plaid shirt, wearing hat) at Letchworth State Park during the Reunion 2023 ride. Ed passed away in October 2023.

We welcome students, alumni, and friends to join us as we ride through your local area, or for part or all of our trip. We also enjoy having lunch or dinner with friends of the University throughout our travels. Anyone interested in taking part in Friday’s “Victory Ride” that needs accommodations in Hornell is encouraged to make reservations early as the area hotels quickly fill up. Stay tuned for updates every few weeks. Please email Jim Randall ’77 at JamesRandallJr@msn.com for additional information.