On Wednesday, April 10, when temperatures rose above 80 degrees, most students raced indoors in search of a cool place.

Members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and Sigma Kappa sorority, however, cycled outdoors in hopes of raising money for a cause close to their hearts.

The event, Cycle For Life, was held as a fundraiser for the Taylor Trudeau Foundation.

The Taylor Trudeau Foundation is an organization made in the name of a former Pi Kappa Alpha brother who lost his life to leukemia, said Ryan Wallace, business freshman and the event’s planner. It supports blood cancer —leukemia, lymphoma, and melanoma— research and awareness.

Wallace said Trudeau was an avid cyclist, and thus the Cycle For Life event was born.

Originating at New Hampshire University, the event spread throughout the Pi Kappa Alpha chapters and has become the IU Southeast chapter’s main philanthropy project.

This year’s event featured three stationary bikes. If someone donated $10, “one of us out-of-shape people has to ride on the bike for an hour,” Wallace said.

If someone donated at least $1, they received a wristband.

There was also a rock wall, donated by the Army, and a local fire truck —the fraternity’s symbol—present early in the morning to get potential donors excited.

The Greek groups collected monetary donations of any amount. In the past they were only able to take cash, but thanks to new technology, they were able to take credit card donations as well.

They were in McCullogh plaza from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

This was the event’s third year at IU Southeast and the first year Sigma Kappa co-sponsored.

 By SAMANTHA FRAZIER

Features Editor

sefrazie@ius.edu