Ben & Jerry’s pedals scoops for HIV/AIDS cause

Adam Payne, of Inwood, pedals a stationary bike as manager Jerry Fernandez stands in front of the Ben & Jerry’s store on West 23rd Street near Eighth Avenue.

Ben & Jerry’s pedals scoops for HIV/AIDS cause

By Jefferson Siegel

On Tuesday, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream stores celebrated the company’s 29th anniversary by giving out free ice cream cones all day long.

At their Chelsea scoop shop on West 23rd Street near Eighth Avenue, a line of more than 50 people stretched down the block, as they patiently waited for a free cone topped with chocolate fudge brownie or cherry Garcia.

As they do every year, the shops partner with a noble social cause in order to bring it to wider attention. This year, the cause was “Braking the Cycle,” a yearly bicycle ride that benefits the HIV/AIDS services of the LGBT Community Center on West 13th Street.

As people entered the store, they passed a volunteer pedaling on a stationary bike next to a banner promoting the ride. Inside, a table was filled with literature. The three-day, 275-mile ride from Gettysburg, Pa., to Manhattan takes place this year Sept.28–30. In its first four years, the ride has raised over $1 million for the LGBT Center’s HIV/AIDS services.

There is a “kick-off” party planned for Wednesday, April 25 6:30–9:30 p.m. at Central Bar, 109 E. 9th St. between Third and Fourth Avenues.

For more information and to register for the ride, visit www.brakingthecycle.org.