On Sunday, the University of Massachusetts hosted Hannah’s Ride, an inaugural memorial bike ride and community event to honor and remember late UMass student Hannah Frilot. All proceeds from the event went to the Hannah Frilot Memorial Scholarship Fund.

“[Hannah] was truly a wonderful person and we are here to honor Hannah with the first annual Bike Ride to raise money for the scholarship fund,” said Fred McIver, the scholarship fund chair and the Technical Services Manager at IT User Services, in an opening speech.

Frilot was killed in July 2014 after she was struck by a car on Northeast Street in Amherst. Frilot was walking her bike in the bike lane when Cynthia May hit her. May was given four years of supervised probation in a plea deal in July 2016.

“Hannah’s death could have been avoided and as a driver, please pay more attention when you’re driving,” McIver said. “If you are not a driver please talk to the people around you who drive and ask them to watch out for people on the road. Watch out for people on the road. That is the main message we want to get out today,” McIver, the Technical Services Manager at IT User Services, added.

The community event included a 17-mile bike ride, a bike safety rodeo demonstration by UMPD, a UMass Amherst Drum Line show, raffles and liquid nitrogen-made ice cream supplied by the UMass Amherst Physics department.

Young children with their families, pets, UMass EMS, Amherst Fire Department and riders old and young arrived early to take part in the many festivities. The UMass Percussion Ensemble played the UMass fight song and a medley of Queen songs to get the crowd excited.

Organizations including the UMass Stonewall Center, Every Voices Coalition, UMass Science Outreach, Hampshire Bike Exchange and Valley Bike Share held booths at the event.

“From now until May 31, 2019, students who best exemplify Hannah, from pursuing a STEM major in which their gender is underrepresented to being an active participant on campus and in their community, are encouraged to fill out an application,” the Facebook page reads.

Preference for the $1,000 scholarship will be given to women and gender non-binary undergraduate students active in their community and studying a science, technology, engineering or math field.

Frilot was about to start her senior year as an industrial engineering student and spent her free time singing and playing music for local Amherst open mic nights. She was a supporter of women’s rights and the Stonewall Center for LGBTQIA students. Frilot was a treasurer of UMass Amherst Pride Alliance and worked on campus for OIT.

“In all walks of life, she worked to spread awareness of the various and intersecting forms of prejudice, discrimination, and privilege while promoting equality,” the memorial scholarship website reads.

“Hannah always walked into a room with something nice to say, a hug to give or a smile on her face,” Zac Bears told the Collegian in 2014. “She was a happy person and she exuded that happiness onto everyone around her. That happiness was also combined with drive and motivation … She was a leader both as a friend and as a student. But that leadership wasn’t arrogant. She was a leader that you follow for the right reasons because you trust her.”

Going forward, Hannah’s Ride will become an annual event and James Paleologopoulos, the Communications Coordinator for UMass Information Technology, said that the planning for next year’s ride is already underway.

“Hannah had a profound and positive impact on those who worked with her,” Paleologopoulos. “Her optimism, energy and advocacy for her fellow students was infectious and has been sorely missed ever since her tragic death in 2014.”

Meghan Sorensen can be reached at [email protected] Cameron Chin can be reached at [email protected].