BJLife Newsroom
Photo: Chai Lifeline
More than 675 cyclists with one goal in mind geared up for the largest Bike4Chai experience to date. The renowned, premier cycling event benefitting Chai Lifeline set out from Kalahari Resort in the Poconos to “The World’s Greatest Finish Line” at Camp Simcha in Glen Spey, NY. Riders celebrated their 165-mile journey with campers, staff, family and friends at Camp Simcha.
“Chai Lifeline’s support for more than 6,000 families throughout the year doesn’t take a break, and neither do all those who work incredibly hard to fundraise and train for Bike4Chai,” said Rabbi Simcha Scholar, CEO of Chai Lifeline. “Summers at Camp Simcha are the highlight of the year for our kids and its only possible due to the support of our community and the dedication of our Bike4Chai riders.”
The record number of riders included all ages and skill levels, business executives, rabbis, a NASA rocket scientist, professional athletes, cancer survivors, and those who ride in honor or memory of a loved one. Joining the peloton were 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans, and former professional cyclists George Hincapie and Christian Vande Velde.
“Bike4Chai represents the very best of us,” said Rabbi Sruli Fried, Executive Director of Bike4Chai. “In a world often divided, it is truly inspiring and heartening to see hundreds of people of all backgrounds united in one cause: to support the children and families served by Chai Lifeline.”
Bike4Chai supports Chai Lifeline’s year-round programs and services, including professional case management and counseling, meal delivery to hospitals and homes, transportation to medical appointments, emergency financial assistance, crisis intervention and trauma response, insurance advocacy, i-Shine afterschool programming for children living with illness or loss in their families, Camp Simcha summer programming, and more.
Baltimore riders include (listed alphabetically): Eliezer Abramson, Yosef Abramson, Menachem Abramson, Gary Bauman, Tzvi Feigenbaum, Yosef Feigenbaum, Yaakov Gluck, Eli Greengart, Tzvi Greengart, Nechemya Jakobovits, Yechiel Levin, Mordechai Leybovich, Aaron Loeb, Kalman Akiva Kovacs, Moshe Mayer, Aryeh Nirenberg, Yosef Kugel, Yehoshua Ribakow, Ephey Rosenbloom, Jeremy Schnittman, Moshe Smith, Larry Strauss, and Benjamin Weiskind.
