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<p>Braving inclement weather Sunday, about 40 cyclists took to the road on a 35-mile trek through the Back Mountain to benefit an organization that helps people become homeowners.</p><p>It was the second day in a weekend of riding events that were part of the Spencer Martin Memorial Bike Ride for Habitat &#8216;17. On Saturday, about 80 spin cyclists pushed through a 50-minute workout at the Vive Health and Fitness Center in Kingston to benefit the same cause.</p><p>This weekend was the ninth road ride, which began and ended at the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus in Lehman Township, and the second year the people at Vive contributed, according to Karen Evans, executive director for Wyoming Valley Habitat for Humanity.</p><p>The two-day event is the single biggest fundraiser for the organization, with all proceeds going to upcoming home-remodeling or construction projects, she said.</p><p>Evans thanked the several local business sponsors, the participants, volunteers and the administration at Penn State for a well-organized event. Each participant received a T-shirt and bag along with other sponsor-provided giveaways.</p><p>She emphasized all involved parties worked to make sure the participants could &#8220;ride safely and have a good time. We really appreciate their support of our organization,&#8221; Evans added.</p><p>The 35-mile ride through the communities around Penn State, which could take a couple of hours to complete, is one of the highlights of the event. Using social media and reaching out to the biking community over the last several years brought a lot of attention to what is a &#8220;pretty but challenging&#8221; ride, she said, adding that many of the cyclists are return visitors.</p><p>The event&#8217;s namesake, Spencer Martin, was a &#8220;longtime devoted volunteer and member of Wyoming Valley Habitat for Humanity&#8217;s Board of Directors whose charitable volunteer work continues to inspire us today,&#8221; Evans said.</p><p>Martin died of cancer in 2008.</p><p>Heather Stearns, general manager at Vive Fitness said their mission fits &#8220;hand-in-hand&#8221; with the habitat&#8217;s mission of giving back to the community. Several members at Vive are involved with the habitat and they helped encourage the fitness center to pitch in.</p><p>&#8220;We are fortunate to have a roof over our heads. We think it&#8217;s important to help other people get theirs,&#8221; Stearns said.</p><p>Along with club members, many of the participants were members of the community who agree with Habitat&#8217;s efforts, she added.</p><p>Evans made the point that Habitat for Humanity is not providing &#8220;a hand-out, but a hand up.&#8221;</p><p>There are two projects currently in progress, one in Wilkes-Barre and one in Pittston, that when finished will provide quality, single-family homes to qualified local families. The funds raised this weekend will help those projects along, Evans said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Bike ride volunteers Beth Black, of Dallas, and Ellen Watkins, of Wilkes-Barre, show a poster for the Spencer Martin Memorial Bike Ride. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_TTL05082017HabitatRide1-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Bike ride volunteers Beth Black, of Dallas, and Ellen Watkins, of Wilkes-Barre, show a poster for the Spencer Martin Memorial Bike Ride. </caption0><photoCredit0>For Times Leader | Charlotte Bartizek </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_TTL05082017HabitatRide3-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Cyclists prepare to set off in the charity ride from Penn State Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_TTL05082017HabitatRide3-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Cyclists prepare to set off in the charity ride from Penn State Wilkes-Barre. </caption1><photoCredit1>For Times Leader | Charlotte Bartizek </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_TTL05082017HabitatRide2-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Andrea Tloczynski gets ready to ride in the ninth annual Spencer Martin Memorial Bike Ride to benefit Wyoming Valley Habitat for Humanity on Sunday morning at the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus in Lehman Township. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_TTL05082017HabitatRide2-2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Andrea Tloczynski gets ready to ride in the ninth annual Spencer Martin Memorial Bike Ride to benefit Wyoming Valley Habitat for Humanity on Sunday morning at the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus in Lehman Township. </caption2><photoCredit2>For Times Leader | Charlotte Bartizek </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta></subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ralph Nardone</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach the Times Leader newsroom at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Cyclists ride in the rain to benefit Wyoming Valley Habitat for Humanity