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When Uber driver Troy Boyer started carrying Dum-Dums and Lifesavers in his car, he didn’t expect to become known for his sweet treats.

Syracuse University students now call his SUV, loaded up with pouches of fruit snacks, Airheads and Rice Krispies Treats, the “Candymachine.”

“This is where I need to be, I found my place,” Boyer said. “I want to be here and hang with the students, and I love their energy.”

With a total of around 50,000 rides since he began driving for Uber in 2017, Boyer, a lifelong Syracuse resident, has become a staple for SU students. But in November, Boyer posted on Instagram to tell students he’d be in the hospital and unable to give them rides. He had a heart attack, and was later diagnosed with chronic heart and kidney failure.

For 36 years, Boyer’s day job has been working for the Onondaga County Water Department. In 2017, he started driving for Uber and has since spent his Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights driving SU students around campus. Part of why he does it is to help keep students safe.

Before becoming an Uber driver, Boyer drove limos for weddings and other events and also worked as a disc jockey. When he started doing Uber rides, he decided to combine the idea of a fun ride with music and lights to create a “party-in-the-car” atmosphere. His SUV is now filled with all kinds of sweets, from Blow Pops to Jolly Ranchers, and students have the option to play whatever music they like.

Boyer noticed the immediate excitement over the candy as soon as he started driving students around the University Hill neighborhood. Students started calling him “Candyman,” and it stuck. After eight years of driving SU students around campus, the community’s love and respect for him “means the world.” The mutual admiration has allowed him and the students to “just gel together,” in Boyer’s words.

Brittany Gillette, Boyer’s eldest child, started a GoFundMe to alleviate finances while he recovers. The fundraiser has now reached $10,000 of its initial $12,000 goal. The SU community has played a significant part in helping Boyer since he began treatments, she said.

“I’m so thankful he found Ubering so many years ago, because he has the love and support from (SU students),” Gillette said.

Courtesy of Troy Boyer

In the back of Troy Boyer’s SUV is an assortment of different candies for the Syracuse University students he drives. Welch’s Fruit Snacks, Sour Patch Kids and Dums-Dums line the back of the driver’s seat along with his Venmo QR code.

Boyer was shocked and touched by the amount of money raised. He said he’s never felt like anyone owes him anything over the years.

Seniors Gia Armenia and Sophia Fusilli see the fundraiser as a way for students to give back to Boyer after years of endless rides around town. Boyer deemed the two seniors and their friends the “Sweet Tarts” during their freshman year. When they found out he couldn’t drive for a while, the “Sweet Tarts” said Boyer’s main concern was missing out on driving them during the last half of their senior year.

“It’s really nice seeing the SU community come together for him after he’s done so much for us,” Armenia said.

Boyer said part of the reason he cares so much for the students is because he’s watched his four kids grow up through their own college years. With three daughters and a son, he knows the importance of helping students by making sure they’re safe.

Especially as a dad with daughters of his own, seeing young women walk alone at night drives him “out of his mind,” he said. Boyer leaves his Instagram direct messages open in case any students need a ride at night.

On some busy nights, Boyer closes his Uber app and focuses on providing rides for students who request one through Instagram. He calls these “rescue rides,” in case someone is in a bad situation and just needs a ride home. The “Sweet Tarts” said he doesn’t stop driving until every one of his messages is answered.

Boyer also keeps his Venmo QR code handy in his car, in case students want to contribute to the overall vibes and candy supply in the car. But he never asks for it.

During her sophomore year, Fusilli found out her dog went into emergency surgery while she was at a party. Boyer was there to pick her up and drive her back to her South Campus apartment. She remembers the ride because of how Boyer comforted her and instantly made her feel better.

“He will drop everything to help someone, he’ll drop anything to save the day,” Fusilli said. “It’s his whole world (at SU).”

Gillette said even though Boyer may not make a substantial amount of money from Uber driving — since much of it goes back into buying candy for his car — it’s never been about the money for him. Boyer does it because he loves having fun with students while making sure they stay safe (and satisfying their sweet tooth).

Maggie Shanahan, a senior psychology major, remembers all the times Boyer would play Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” for her and her friends during their rides home. She’s already anticipating crying when she has to say goodbye to Boyer at her graduation this spring.

“It’s so comforting seeing him around campus,” Shanahan said. “I could be having the worst day, but if he drives by I automatically can’t help but smile.”

Boyer credits SU students for the additions to his “Candymachine” over the years, from its colorful interior lights to the “Candyman” sticker a marketing student convinced him to put on the side of his car in 2018.

The support he’s received from students is why Boyer continues to drive for Uber. He believes the students were an integral part in building his name.

“That means so much to me, it means more than money, it means more than anything in the world just knowing all these people care about me and care about what’s happening with me,” Boyer said.

Boyer misses being at SU, especially during the winter weather conditions when students need rides the most. But he knows he’s not done driving anytime soon, and hopes to be back making his usual rounds on campus this spring.

“Everything that I do, and that I’ve done, has been built between (the students) and (I) together,” Boyer said. “This is our deal, we built this.”

Published on February 6, 2025 at 12:21 am

Contact Mia: mjones58@syr.edu