Wheels of Love 2019

Challenge yourself for the children of ALYN

133 RIDERS

See full list >

DAYSHOURSMINUTESSECS

November 10, 2019

$81,807

Money Raised*

3% raised of $3,000,000

Routes

Details

Donating

2018 Gallery

The 20th anniversary ride: November 10-14, 2019.

For 20 years, riders from around the world have been coming to Israel to participate in the Wheels of Love 5 day bike ride. In 1999, 9 riders raised $30,000 to help the children of ALYN. Last year, 554 riders raised $3,756,000 while spending a week riding the best routes — both road and trail — in Israel. It has become one of the top charity bike rides in the world and we invite you to come on a special ride for a special cause.

ALYN is a world leader and the only place in Israel that specializes in treating children who have been severely injured in accidents or acts of terror, suffer from degenerative disease, or were born with significant physical challenges. The remarkable team of dedicated doctors and therapists at ALYN work tirelessly with these children. Our goal is to return them to their families, empowered to live as independently as possible.

Won’t you play a role in these miracles?

Detailed Route Descriptions

We are currently planning the routes. We will soon have more details. Check back soon!

Important Details

Challenge, Road, Road Plus, Touring

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday Nights

The Hacienda Forest View

The Hecienda is set on 17 acres of natural forest and is designed to resemble a Spanish Estate. Wheels of Love has reserved the entire hotel for our stay. Come meet up and swap stories with riders from all the road groups in this pleasant retreat where we will rest and relax to prepare for the next day’s ride.

Wednesday Night

Yearim (Maale Chahamisha) Hotel

For the final night of the ride, we will return to the Maale Chahamisha Hotel where we stayed in 2018. Conveniently located on the outskirts of Jerusalem, we will begin our final day of the ride here. The hotel will also be the scene of our special evening awards ceremony where we will distribute the fund-raising awards and loyalty jackets.

Trail and Enduro

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday Nights

The Yarden Estate Hotel

This lovely boutique hotel will be home to all the trail riders for three nights. Wheels of Love has reserved the entire hotel four our stay. Meet up with fellow riders where you can relax and swap stories of the ride. Of course, the grassy gardens are the perfect place for the legendary off-road “Happy Hour” parties. With many trails starting from the hotel’s location in the Hula valley, it is the perfect place for our group to stay.

Wednesday Night

Neve Illan Hotel

On the final night of the ride, we will return to the Neve Illan Hotel. As riders from 2018 can attest, the newly-renovated hotel is clean, comfortable and the food is sensational.

While we highly recommend that you bring your own bike on Wheels of Love, we understand that some prefer to rent a bike for the duration of the ride. The decision is entirely yours and we stand ready to help get you on the road whether you ship or rent your bike.

Shipping Your Bike

You should have your bike packed carefully. Most bike shops provide this service. Packing usually involves removing wheels, pedals, handlebars, and saddle, which are wrapped in foam and packed separately.

When you come to check-in at ALYN, our team of mechanics will unbox your bike and assemble it. (If you prefer, you can do this yourself.) During the ride, all bike boxes are stored at ALYN. After the ride, the mechanics will repack your bike for the flight home.

Most airlines will charge a separate fee for bringing a bike. El Al has a special deal for ALYN Wheels of Love riders. They will waive their usual fee ($150) for the trip to Israel. (The fee will be charged for the return flight.) To take advantage of this deal, riders must be departing from New York, Newark, Boston, LA, or Chicago. You must fly between October 20 and November 25.

Send an email to WheelsofLove@ELALusa.com Hand send a copy to FRIENDS@alynus.org

Include the following information:

Your name as it appears on your passport
The date, time and number of your flight
Your cell phone number

The fee waiver is entered into your flight record and activated when you check-in for your flight. (Note: They do NOT send out confirmations of the fee waiver.)

Renting a Bike

While it is preferable to bring your own bike, you can also rent either a road or a mountain bike from our supplier. We have carefully selected our supplier for providing exceptional service and pricing. If you rent a bike, your are responsible for returning the bike and for negotiating payment, insurance and repair issues directly from the provider.

Wheels of Love will treat your rental bike with the exact same policy as all bikes that are privately owned and brought on the ride by individual riders. In other words, we will handle your rental with great care.

To rent a bike, get in touch with our supplier below. You must come to ALYN during rider check-in the week before the ride. You will pick up your rental bike at ALYN and then go through the same check-in procedures as all riders.

A team of mechanics will be available to make adjustments to your rental bike. You also have the same access to our mechanics during the ride as any other rider. Often riders who rent bikes bring their own pedals and even their own seat. The mechanics will help you install these on the rental bike. Just remember to return the rental pedals and seat to the rental company when you return your bike. Asaf Rockman, rent@bikejerusalem.com, Mobile phone: (972) 052-3201273

Days could be hot and sunny or cold and rainy. Take gear that you can ride in no matter what the weather.

Cycling shorts, Cycling shoes, Cycling gloves, Cycling socks
We are providing a 2018 cycling jersey. New riders will receive an extra jersey. We are also providing a vest to be worn over your own cycling shirts on the days that you do not wear the ALYN cycling jerseys for identification. It is mandatory to wear ALYN 2018 cycling jersey on the first and last day of the ride.
Bicycle helmet – PLEASE PUT YOUR NAME ON IT
Knee and elbow protectors (For off-road, only if you ride with them regularly.)
Spare inner tube, a simple set of tools and derailleur hanger suitable for your bike. Off-Road: spare brake disc pads.
Sunscreen
Vaseline, talcum powder, or other type of chamois cream.
Touring riders: Small bag with comfortable clothes and shoes for touring.
OVERSEAS Participants need to have their passport and insurance information on them at all times
ISRAELIS need their identity card and kupat cholim card
Sunglasses
Lip balm
Insect repellent
Band-Aid and medications
Toilet paper, wet wipes
Casual Clothes for relaxing in the evenings
Money/Credit Card- Take into account that while the mechanics service is free, parts are extra. All meals/hotel rooms are included.
Ear plugs (for those noisy roommates)
Bathing suit
Laundry detergent, Rope to put up clothes line

How much do I need to raise to participate?
What happens if a rider does not meet the minimum fundraising requirements?
How difficult is the ALYN Wheels of Love ride?
What is included on the ride?
Is ALYN’s Wheels of Love safe?
Do I need spending money?
Is the food kosher? Can I pray with a minyan?
What are the Terms & Conditions of the ride? What if I need to cancel?

1. How much do I need to raise to participate?

The minimum fundraising requirements depend on which route you choose.

For the 2019 Wheels of Love ride, the amounts are:

Trail & Enduro: $3,000

On Road & Touring: $3,500

Challenge: $4,000

Single day ride, both on road and off: 750 shekels ($200)

2. What happens if a rider does not meet the minimum fundraising requirements?

The goal of Wheels of Love, in addition to producing a world-class riding experience for our riders, is to raise as much money as possible for the children of ALYN Hospital. Participation in Wheels of Love involves making a binding commitment to raise the minimum amount of funds required by the Ride Organizing Committee. All riders who have not met their obligations at check-in must give credit card details before taking part in Wheels of Love.

Any rider who has not raised the required amount by December 31, 2019 will be charged the shortfall. Please note that the credit card will not be charged prior to December 31, 2019, two months after the ride so there is plenty of time to continue additional fundraising in order make up the deficit. Nevertheless, we strongly encourage you to satisfy (and hopefully far exceed your fundraising obligation ) prior to the ride.

3. What is included on the ride?

On each of the four nights of Wheels of Love (Sunday through Wednesday night), riders stay in three or four star hotels. Accommodations are clean, comfortable and convenient. We eat breakfast and dinner in the hotels.

During the day, we serve lunch half way through the route, usually soup and sandwiches and an occasional surprise. There are also numerous pit stops where healthy snack food is served. At the end of the riding day, you can relax with a cold beer and some protein and carbs at our après ride party. The food is never ending and don’t expect to lose any weight on the Ride regardless of how much time you spend in the saddle.

You will receive a deluxe CRAFT ALYN riding jersey with registration.

During the ride, we provide complete support. That means that we have mechanics, medics, and a sweep bus to pick up riders who are having a hard time keeping up or just want a breather. We also have escort vehicles and staff ready to help if any need arises. All routes have lead and trailing vehicles. We will transport your luggage between hotels. You can also pack a small day bag that will accompany the On Road and Touring routes and which will be deposited for you at the next rest stop.

Every night the mechanics will set up shop at the hotel to make any repairs that riders need. Should you need a part, you can purchase almost anything you need for your bike — from tires to derailleurs. Please check our packing list to find out what to bring. We try and provide just about everything you might need to make Wheels of Love an exceptional experience.

4. Is ALYN's Wheels of Love safe?

Rider safety is our very first priority. We work very closely with the Israeli police and military in planning our routes. We are also in constant contact with governmental authorities in the event of a security issue. Israeli police escorts stop traffic, keep intersections clear and ensure that oncoming traffic stays in the proper lane.

Many of the roads we ride on will be completely closed to traffic while we are riding through. In addition to police escorts, each route has a professional route manager who is responsible for the safety of all riders on the route. In the event of an accident, we have experienced medics accompanying each route who can provide immediate medical assistance.

While we make every attempt to keep you safe, riders are also largely responsible for the safety of the ride. Please read over our “rider safety” page and familiarize yourself with the “rules of the road” so you can do your part in keeping the ride safe for all our riders.

5. Do I need spending money?

On the ride itself, you certainly don’t need to bring substantial spending money. We provide everything you need over these five days, including hotels, meals and all logistics. Of course, you may want to bring a little extra for souvenirs or some single malt scotch but as far as we are concerned, once you step on the bus on Saturday night or Sunday morning, you can leave your wallet at home.

6. How difficult is the ALYN Wheels of Love ride?

Wheels of Love is a five day bike ride. Every day, you will ride from approximately 8:15 AM to 4:15 PM.

While every route has pit stops and lunch breaks, you should be able to ride for 6-7 hours each day.

The on road routes are often hilly and include multiple climbs that can be both steep and long. However, should you have trouble keeping up, we have an air conditioned bus that accompanies the ride every day that you can easily hop on and take a well-earned breather.

Most of the trail riding is done along rugged jeep and hiking trails that can be muddy and dusty. Don’t expect to be clean at the end of the day!!!! Some parts of the trail are technical and require advanced riding skills. If you find it too challenging or too technical, don’t worry – you can just get off your bike, walk through the technical part and then get back on once the trail levels out again.

If you can’t keep up, there is always a sweeper vehicle that you can hop on until you are ready to ride again.

While Wheels of Love is definitely a serious ride, we have designed the routes to appeal to a wide range of cyclists. Strong and competitive riders who are interested in riding hard and fast will love our Challenge group. Those who want to ride at a slightly lower pace can join our new Road Plus route.

Riders who prefer a relaxed pace and don’t want to spend more than half the day in the saddle, can join our Touring group which spends the afternoons enjoying unique tours of the biblical landscape. Similarly, we have Trail riders of all different abilities who can choose the regular Trail group or the more advanced Enduro group. Our largest group is the Road route and this group includes cyclists of varying levels.

Regardless of your level, we encourage you to train regularly in the months leading up to the ride. The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy this incredible experience. Check out our routes, including the mileage and elevation and see which is right for you.

7. Is the food kosher? Can I pray with a minyan?

Kashrut policy All food provided on the Wheels of Love (WOL) Bike Ride is kosher and has valid kashrut certification. This includes fruit, all of which is purchased from suppliers who certify that their products adhere to kashrut requirements for מצוות התלויות בארץ (mitzvot teluyot b’aretz).

During the Ride, kashrut certificates for items that are not prepared under the supervision of the kitchen are available from the WOL staff upon request. This includes fruit and nuts served at rest stops.

Soups served at lunch are prepared in a kitchen with kashrut certification. They are cooked, heated and served from pots belonging to the kitchen involved. Dishes and spoons are disposable. Sandwiches are packaged individually. Each has individual kashrut certification.

Glatt kosher food for the five-day ride is available for an extra cost.

Minyanim

Many of our riders and volunteers are religious and therefore daily minyanim are held at the guesthouses/hotels and at the lunch stops. On Monday and Thursday mornings, we make sure that a Sefer Torah is available. Every year some of the Wheels of Love participants even learn the “daf yomi” together!

8. What are the Terms & Conditions of the ride? What if I need to cancel?

As a condition of participation, you must have read and accepted the event terms and conditions and the ride cancellation policy.

Terms and Conditions

Cancellation Policy

5 Things to Make Your ALYN Ride Much More Fun by Yarden Frankl

How Cycling Makes You Smarter and Happier by Selene Yeager

Safety by Yitzhak Ian Fierstein

It’s a hill. Get over it. by Zvi Volk

Raising Funds for the ALYN Children

The vast majority of riders raise more than the required minimums. In fact, last year the average rider raised more than $7,500. All riders who make the extra effort for the children of ALYN will receive special gifts as our way of saying thanks.

ONLINE

Next to each rider’s name on the rider list on our website is a “sponsor” button. Clicking this button will open up a personal fundraising page for that rider, hosted by either the American/Canadian Friends of ALYN or JGIVE, depending on where the rider lives. Online donations can be made in multiple currencies. Teams also have separate fundraising pages.

Online donations will receive digital receipts that cannot be altered once issued. Before donating, you will be asked what name you want on the receipt (such as a company name.) Please make sure the name is correct because we cannot change these receipts.

To receive an Israeli receipt for a donation in any currency other than shekels, please email donations@alyn.org.

Click below to see how to donate by check, telephone, or bank transfer as well as how to donate in other currencies.

Donations by check

Israeli shekel checks:

Checks should be payable to ALYN and sent to:

ALYN Hospital
84 Shmaryahu Levin Street
Kiryat Yovel, P.O.B. 9117
Jerusalem, 91090

American or Canadian dollar checks please mail to:

American Friends of ALYN or Canadian Friends of ALYN
122 East 42nd Street,
#1519 New York, NY 10168

If you have a number of checks that you wish to bring or mail to ALYN Hospital, then print out the form at this link. Please print a separate page for different currencies. If your donor is giving in foreign currency and wishes to receive an Israeli receipt (non tax-deductible), then indicate this on the form. You can bring the form and checks to check-in for Wheels of Love.

By telephone

To phone in a credit- card donation, please call our Israeli office:

Israel – 02-6494235
U.S. 1-866-629-0025
UK: 0330-828-0808

Bank transfer (Israeli receipts)

First International Bank, Main Jerusalem Branch #012 10 Hillel Street, Jerusalem, Israel ALYN Foreign Currency account # 009997 ALYN Israeli Shekels account # 409-009997 swift code: FIRBILIT XXX JERUSALEM 012 IBAN # IL 900310120000000009997

Please be kind enough to send an email to donations@alynactive.org informing us of the bank transfer that you have made so that we can trace and acknowledge it correctly.

British Pounds

To accept online donations in British Pounds or Euros, you can easily set up a personal fundraising page on Just Giving. Donations will automatically be sent to our office in London. Just follow these instructions:

As soon as the funds are transferred to the hospital, your donation information will be added to our website.

You can also mail checks to:
Friends of ALYN London
c/o Mrs. Maureen Lowry
88 Ossulton Way
London N2 0LB

You can also send an email to alynuk@ip3.co.uk

Donating in Euros and other currencies

Donors can receive tax receipts in Holland, France, and Switzerland

Holland: Stichting Vrienden van Het ALYN Hospital, c/o Shulamit Klarenbeek-Joosten (Treasurer), penningmeester.alyn@gmail.com

Amis D’Alyn France
C/O Dr. Richard Sion
9 Boulevard Magenta, Paris, 75010 France
331-424-92362

Switzerland: Schweizer Freunde von ALYN- Jerusalem, St. Jakobs-Strasse 108, 4052 Base, Phone 061 313 46 45 margie@balcab.ch

Every year, hundreds of riders from all over the world successfully raise money for the children treated at ALYN Hospital. In fact, the majority of our riders raise far more than the minimum requirements. If the challenge of raising funds for ALYN makes you nervous, don’t worry.

Fundraising for ALYN can be incredibly rewarding. When you ask friends and family to sponsor you, you are asking them to help thousands of children, each one with a moving story.

Kids come to ALYN after car accidents, terrorist attacks, spinal cord and muscular injuries caused by sickness or side-effects from treatments like chemo. Others are born with serious physical challenges. They are very different but all share one thing in common: The desire to live life with their families as independently as possible.

The money you raise can make this happen.

Here’s what 13 year old Zina said when, after 14 months of intensive rehabilitation at ALYN after a devastating car accident, she was finally able to return home:

“After my accident, I never thought I would be myself again but ALYN made it possible. They never gave up on me even when I gave up on myself. ALYN gave me the strength, the tools and the desire to face the future. They loved me and believed in me and showed me how to overcome every obstacle. Thank you ALYN, from the bottom of my heart.”

ALYN treats thousands of children like Zina each year. These are children, not statistics. Every dollar you raise is used by ALYN to provide state of the art treatment to the children who seek our help every day.

The four steps to successful fund-raising

Step #1 — Aim high: Set an ambitious and inspiring fundraising goal for yourself. Although the minimum you need to raise is between $3,000 and $4,000, we KNOW that you can raise more. If you can ride for 5 days straight, up and down hills, through all types of weather, you can certainly go the extra mile for the children of ALYN. Pick $5,000, $10,000 or more. You will be making a world of difference.

Step #2 — Make a personal donation. Your registration payments pays for your hotel rooms and other expenses of the ride. But it is not a donation. To convince others to make a contribution, it is always helpful to lead by example.

Step #3 — Ask Friends and Family. It’s always best to start with the easiest sell so start with family and close friends. It’s helpful to ask for a specific amount. Sometimes people want to help but are unsure what is appropriate. If you suggest an amount, they will be more likely to give. Some people who would gladly give $500 give $50 because they weren’t asked for a higher amount.

Step #4 — Ask Everyone! Write that email, send the WhatsAPP, post on Facebook. Most importantly — make personal phone calls. There is a basic rule in ALL fundraising: The main reason people give is that they have been asked by someone they know and trust. That person is YOU!

Make sure to send your sponsors a personal thank you letter. Show your appreciation and let them know what a difference their gift makes for the children of ALYN.

Don’t forget about businesses and corporations that may earmark allocations to charitable causes and/or for public and community relations. Wheels of Love offers outstanding public relations opportunities in exchange for Corporate Sponsorships (If you have a lead that might result in a corporate sponsorship opportunity, please contact Chaim Wizman at cwizman@alyn.org).

Get to know the incredible children of ALYN

The more you get to know about the children at ALYN and the miracles they accomplish each day, the better an ambassador you will be.

If you are in Israel, take a tour of ALYN and experience the magic firsthand. ALYN help children recover from severe injuries sustained in terrorist attacks, road accidents, head and spinal trauma, cancer treatment, and other conditions requiring extensive rehabilitation. Many children here also have been born with congenital disabilities.

Write those LETTERS, Make those PHONE CALLS, Keep up your TRAINING, Make a DIFFERENCE! See you in October.

The best way to raise fund sis by personally asking your friends and family. You can use these letters. Just make sure to personalize them with your name and the link to your fundraising page. If you forget the link, just look up your name here and click on “Sponsor.”

Sample letter for first time riders

Dear (Fill in the Blank),

I am taking on a new challenge and I want to share it with you.

You know I love kids, Israel and my bike. I found the perfect way to celebrate these loves….WHEELS OF LOVE! This is an amazing 5 day charity bike ride in Israel held every fall to benefit the physically disabled children of ALYN HOSPITAL in Jerusalem.

I am going to ride my bike for 5 days, 300 miles and too many hills to even contemplate. Every turn of the wheel will help the physically disabled children of ALYN Hospital in Jerusalem come closer to achieving their ambitious goal of leading a maximally independent life.

It’s an honor to have one of the coveted 350 spots since WHEELS OF LOVE is the original and definitive gold standard for charity bike rides in Israel and I’ve discovered that ALYN Hospital is the gold standard IN THE WORLD for pediatric rehabilitation. You can learn all about ALYN here.

Children come to ALYN from all over Israel seeking their very special brand of love-compassion-hope-expertise. It’s a failsafe recipe for success. ALYN knows exactly how to help every single child reach his or her highest level of mobility – no matter how dire the circumstances.

All they lack is the money to insure this life changing care. WHEELS OF LOVE is the Hospital’s largest annual fundraiser. I’ve been told I am going to meet incredible people, make lifelong friends and see places in Israel one can only see from the seat of the bike.

But I’ve been told it is the children’s smiles and their parents’ thanks of gratitude that makes this experience so exceptional. I am paying my own airfare, my own hotels and a registration fee. All gifts are 100% tax-deductible and the money raised goes directly towards treating the children.

I am very excited to be going to Israel to do a mitzvah. YOU can help me double the mitzvah by being as generous as you possibly can be to these kids. I am doing my small part in helping these young heroes. It’s so easy to become a hero to them – just click here (insert the link to your fundraising page. If you forget it, just look up your name here). Thank you for helping me help these very deserving children.

The ride is October 29th to November 2nd – look for pictures that I will send from Israel!

In gratitude,

PS: To donate by check please make it payable to American Friends of ALYN and mail it to 122 E. 42nd St., Suite 1519, NY, NY 10168 and make sure to put my name in the memo line! If your company matches your gift or you wish to donate stocks, please call the office at 212-869-8085 for more info.

Sample letter for veteran riders

Dear (Fill in the Blank),

Once again, I am challenging myself for an incredible cause and I want to share it with you.

You know I love kids, Israel and my bike. I have found the perfect way to celebrate these loves….WHEELS OF LOVE! This is an amazing 5 day charity bike ride in Israel held every fall to benefit the physically disabled children of ALYN HOSPITAL in Jerusalem.

So once again, I am going to ride my bike for 5 days, 300 miles and way too many hills to even contemplate. Every turn of the wheel will help the physically disabled children of ALYN Hospital in Jerusalem come closer to achieving their ambitious goal of leading a maximally independent life.

I am very excited to be going to Israel to do a mitzvah. YOU can help me so this mitzvah by being as generous as you possibly can be to these kids. I am doing my small part in helping these young heroes. It’s so easy to become a hero to them – just click here (insert the link to your fundraising page. If you forget it, just look up your name here). Thank you for helping me help these very deserving children.

The ride is October 29th to November 2nd – look for pictures that I will send from Israel!

In gratitude,

Wheels of Love welcomes the formation of teams. Team fundraising can be a useful and effective tool to maximize fundraising efforts and create a healthy sense of camaraderie among team members and good-natured competition with other teams.

Teams should be formed when a group of riders plan to be soliciting donations from the same donor. We can set up a team fund raising page which will be in addition to a riders personal fundraising page. Riders can send either page to their donors.

When a donor makes a team gift, the donation is split evenly among all team members registered to the team at the time the gift is given. However, each Team Rider still has an individual fundraising obligation which remains even if the Team has satisfied or surpassed its overall Team fundraising obligation.

In other words, even if one member of a team is raising far more than the minimum, other members of the team must still meet their obligations. The only cases where this does not apply is teams made up of immediate family members.

Suggestions For Small Gift Items For Which Our Children And Our Staff Are Always Grateful

NO CANDY/SWEETS PLEASE!

For our younger children:

Small educational toys (especially “cause and effect” ones i.e. the child does something like pushing a button or opening a door or a top of a toy and it has an effect like a “Jack in the Box” popping up or music starts to play etc.)
Baking set
Carpentry set
Tool kit
Doctor set
Kitchen set
Puzzles (wooden with large attractively colored pieces)
Simple card games
Costume jewelry
Decorative hair items e.g. pony tail holders, slides etc.
Playdough
Small toy cars
Dolls and doll accessories
Stickers: any and all kinds but especially stickers of well known cartoon characters and children’s TV programs like Sesame Street!
Large crayons/thick and thin markers of all colors
Musical toys with/without moving pictures
Magnifying glasses
Plastic sun glasses for “dressing up”
And while on the subject of “dressing up” funny hats are always appreciated too especially in the Day Care Center!
Little torches/flashlights
Soap bubble containers and blowers
Kaleidoscope
Beanie Babies
Notebooks
Medals
Springs
Key-Rings
Rubber Stamps

Small items listed above like stickers, toy cars, costume jewelry, decorative hair items etc. are excellent for our therapists to have to give out as motivation prizes to young patients in physiotherapy, occupational therapy etc. sessions in order to encourage a child to do an exercise which demands an extra effort

For our older children i.e. teenaged hospitalized patients in our Active Rehabilitation Ward:

Anything which is “the craze” in the USA, if language is not involved, will certainly be appreciated by our teenage patients.

Also since we have a number of computer stations (in therapy units and also for leisure) in various areas of the Hospital any of the latest DVD/CD computer games, where knowledge of the English language is not a necessity, are also very welcome and appreciated.