Lauren RabainoA memorial bicycle ride will be held Saturday at Poly Canyon in honor of late Cal Poly freshman Carson Starkey by the Cal Poly Wheelmen Cycling Team.
Starkey passed away last quarter while pledging the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epilson, reportedly from alcohol poisoning.
Starkey was a member of the Wheelmen and an avid bike rider.
Wheelmen president and architecture junior Blake Anton said he had spoken with Starkey at club meetings and races.
“He was a really nice kid; he was really down-to-earth. In general, a lot of people who ride bikes are just pretty neat people. It’s like a different group of people, in that, they’re real,” he said.
Starkey’s parents expressed appreciation for the Wheelmen’s efforts to remember their son, Anton added.
The ride will begin with a moment of silence in the Cal Poly Recreation Center Plaza at 10 a.m.
Attendants are encouraged to sign a Wheelmen jersey dedicated to Starkey, which will be sent to his family in Texas.
The Wheelmen will lead the first part of the memorial bike ride about six miles into Poly Canyon. Those who want to ride farther can continue through the trail.
“This ride is pretty much for everybody. We want to have anybody who has a bike to be able to do it,” Anton said.
Sean Gasiorek, Wheelmen vice president and math senior, helped organize the ride. He said those without a bike are encouraged to attend and walk the trail.
“We’re getting a lot of support from both the Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo communities (for this ride),” Gasiorek said.
Originally, Gasiorek envisioned an attendance of about 30-50 people, but said a larger number wouldn’t be surprising thanks to publicity.
“We have no idea right now. (Attendance) could be 50, or it could be 200,” he said.
“This is our way of remembering him,” Gasiorek said.
The Cal Poly Wheelmen is a cycling club with about 140 to 150 members.
Their skill levels range from competitive road and mountain bikers to those who just enjoy biking and socializing.
The team competes against other West Coast colleges and universities and sent three of its members to nationals within the past year.