Wheelies Bicycles Sales and Service in Medford has partnered with local resident Judith Bennis to sell her late husband Dave’s bike and raise funds for an organization he served.
Medford resident Dave Bennis was an avid cyclist and advocate for mental health who was on the board of Move to Mental Health, a nonprofit formed by Mount Laurel resident Sami Sorid that combines her passion for cycling and mental health.
Move for Mental Health focuses on education and reducing the stigma associated with mental health. In the past, the organization held an annual charity bike ride at Laurel Acres Park in Mount Laurel, an event that has been halted due to COVID. The ride raised awareness for mental health and funds to promote mental-health initiatives in the community,
Aside from Move for Mental Health, Dave Bennis was a cyclist with several bike groups in the community such as Team Evesham and the Outdoor Club of South Jersey. He was also a dedicated volunteer liaison for Wheelies Bicycle for 10 years and for the annual rides Bike MS: City to Shore and the American Cancer Society Philadelphia Bike-a-Thon. To honor his memory, Move for Mental Health established the Dave Bennis Mental Health Hero Scholarship of $1,000 for a graduating senior at Lenape High School who will pursue a degree in the mental-health field.
In addition to the scholarship, the Dave Bennis specialized Roubaix Comp road bike at Wheelies Bicycle Sales and Service is being consigned for $2,500. Judith Bennis spoke on behalf of her late husband, noting that her late husband was not even able to get a full season out of the bike. Sale proceeds will benefit both Move for Mental Health and the Lenape scholarship.
Vy Zwier, digital marketing mManager at Wheelies Bicycle Sales and Service, spoke about the bike at his shop, Dave’s story and why awareness of mental health is so important, especially now.
“With COVID happening in the past year and a half, it’s very important that we take it more serious now, and I think this definitely opens up the conversation for people to be more comfortable with it.” he explained.
Sorid, who worked closely with Dave Bennis at Move for Mental Health, expressed her thoughts on the scholarship developed in his name and how grateful she is for what he did to benefit the organization.
“I think Dave really valued education and he really valued mental health and he was for sure a mental-health advocate,” Sorid noted “And I think that this will, this scholarship into the future, will do just that and honor his values and carry that on.”
For more information about Dave Bennis’ bike at Wheelies Bicycle Sales and Service, visit https://www.facebook.com/wheeliesbikeshop/posts/515851135417539
