AMHERST - A bicycle ride to benefit local, national and international service projects by University of Massachusetts students affiliated with Hillel House takes place on the morning of Oct. 16.

The fifth annual Ride to Provide, a trek through Amherst and Hadley at the peak of foliage season, supports community programs and environmentally-friendly projects, said Saul Perlmutter, executive director of Hillel House at UMass.

Participants have the opportunity to complete nine-, 18- or 36-mile rides that raise money to help defray some of the costs for alternative spring breaks and intersession work projects. Perlmutter said the ride already has the most riders ever signed up and will raise in excess of $46,000 to provide subsidies to students.

In the past, the money has been used to sponsor students who annually go to New Orleans to help residents get back into homes following Hurricane Katrina, while others have been to communities in Nicaragua, where a bridge was constructed to allow the residents to access health care, and worked with Israelis of Ethiopian descent to refurbish gardens, parks and homes in the town of Gedera, Israel.

"The ride also changes the lives of our students by giving them the hands-on experience of making a truly meaningful difference for others," Perlmutter said.

Other projects are closer to Amherst, such as the work completed Sunday with Rebuilding Together in Springfield, where people are still dealing with the aftermath of a June 1 tornado. The work included visits to homebound senior citizens and delivering of Meals On Wheels dinners.

Those who register for the ride will be eligible to win raffle prizes, including two tickets to a 2012 Boston Red Sox game. A kosher lunch, entertainment and free massages will be offered after the ride.

For more information about the Ride to Provide and to register, visit umasshillel.org/ridetoprovide or call 549-1710.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.