Wheels of Love: DC
June 12 | Washington, DC | Start Time 7:30AM (62 Miles)/8:00AM (35 Miles)
The Routes
The 62-mile road route was created for experienced cyclists who enjoy fast group riding (average speeds of 14 to 16mph+) on narrow country roads. It features plenty of rolling hills, some punchy climbs and great scenery. Horse pastures, farms, and forests dominate this rural ride along roadways that are favorites for local seasoned roadies.
There will be certain areas with some car traffic and some roads will be very lightly traveled. Riding this route in two or three groups using drafting and paceline techniques is recommended for experienced road cyclists.
Link to route on RidewithGPS
This epic 35-mile loop is for cyclists who enjoy a challenging ride and are more interested in riding paved trails and less interested in keeping pace with a group. The route includes some of the best bike trails and park roads in the Washington, DC Region.
You’ll get to ride on shaded bike paths that roll along the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, through an old train tunnel, over bridges crossing roadways and along creeks on trails and few roads. Two stretches (a couple miles each) utilize neighborhood streets to connect iconic paved trails and some of Rock Creek National Park’s roads closed to car traffic.
Don’t think just because this route is largely on bike paths it is easy; riding this long route on quieter trails will take nearly as long to circumnavigate Washington, DC as the road riders who are sprinting out to the hinterlands and back. We are excited to share a curated cycling experience that will showcase the region’s first-rate cycling infrastructure, natural parks and greenways.
Link to route on RidewithGPS
Your ALYN Fundraising Tool Kit
Wondering what the money you raise by participating in Wheels of Love is used for?
Below are a few stories of remarkable children whose progress depended on the work of ALYN Hospital, which in turn depends on Wheels of Love to make these treatments possible. Tell these stories to your friends and family and ask them to make a donation to help children like the ones described below.
A BOY, A BIKE RIDE AND BESHERT
As a point of true beshert, Meori’s family was connected to ALYN Hospital in a special way – Meori’s father, Hovav, had been participating in the Wheels of Love bike ride, raising funds for ALYN Hospital, since 2005. For Hovav, ALYN was already a place he considered his second home. Combining bike riding with the mitzvah of tzedakah is something he looks forward to year after year. So, without thinking twice, he contacted Dr. Maurit Beeri, Director General of ALYN Hospital, and asked if Meori could be admitted there for the duration of his rehabilitation process, to which Dr. Beeri agreed. In Hovav’s words: “To us, it was clear we were going home.”
A NEW SCHOOL YEAR FOR ETAI
Etai shares, as is typical of a boy his age, that he is happy that he does not have to go to school, but later in the conversation admits that the thought of being able to return to the classroom with his friends motivates him to continue rehabilitation and invest every day despite the difficulties and pain. “Knowing that I’ll be joining my friends later makes me optimistic. I work as hard I can. It’s not fun that I still cannot be one of the gang in the simple way I used to be. Friends do come to visit when possible, but it’s not the same as meeting in the morning, going to school and then meeting up again in the afternoon.”
COMING HOME!
In August 2019, Dor, then 15-years-old, experienced organ failure as a result of sepsis, bacteria that penetrated his bloodstream. Dor had to be resuscitated and overnight became a ventilator-dependent child with a severe brain injury, totally dependent on long-term care.
For two-and-a-half long months, Dor’s parents sat by his side in the Intensive Care Unit of Hadassah Hospital. From there, Dor transferred from Hadassah to ALYN Hospital’s Respiratory Department for rehabilitation services in the only department in Israel specializing in pediatric respiratory rehabilitation. The family felt fortunate to have been accepted by this one-of-a-kind facility, and Dor quickly entered a routine of intensive rehabilitation therapies that included occupational and speech therapy, respiratory physiotherapy, music therapy and animal-assisted therapy.
When the pandemic hit, ALYN had to make some difficult decisions to protect its most vulnerable patients, the ventilator-dependent children. To do so, the Respiratory Department was completely isolated from the rest of the hospital and became an independent unit. Walls were constructed, visitors were limited and children being treated as patients were not allowed to return home.
This month, Dor was released from ALYN and has rejoined his parents and three siblings back home in Ma’aleh Adumim. Meital shared her gratitude to the staff at ALYN and the mixed emotions associated with finally bringing Dor home:
“Today we were released, we said goodbye to the amazing staff at ALYN Hospital and our feelings are mixed and our questions are many:
Will we manage with all the medical tasks of preparing special medicines and alternative nutritional formulas?
Will we know how to react when the temperature goes down and to connect the oxygen only when we really need to?
How will we live when our son is in the living room, when should we turn off the light, will noise disturb him and what if there is a knock on the door exactly when we are attending to his needs?
And how will he fit in with his sisters and brother who so longed for his return, but will now be competing for parental attention? One of them revealed to us that she took a picture of him out of an album and pasted it on a doll, and every time she missed him she hugged the doll with the pasted picture.
Many questions run through my head and heart, but we know that we will turn the answers into reality and we will be able to do it.
There are a lot of people to thank for the help with the preparations for returning home (which are not over yet). In the meantime – it is worth remembering that our world is, indeed, full of possibilities.”
A short video showing you how to raise money for ALYN through the Wheels of Love bike ride.
New to fundraising? Looking for a few tips to help you collect sponsorships? A few Wheels of Love veteran riders explain how they have raised way beyond the minimum for ALYN.
Barry & Jill Levenfeld
Home: Jerusalem, Israel Years Riding Wheels of Love: 22 (Barry), 21 (Jill)
Lifetime Fundraising: $731,275
Click here or on picture to hear Barry & Jill’s tips
Jay Bailey
Home: Efrat, Israel Years Riding Wheels of Love: 9
Lifetime Fundraising: $42,212
Click here or on picture to hear Jay’s tips
Rocky Brody
Home: Alon Shevut, Israel Years Riding Wheels of Love: 11
Lifetime Fundraising: $32,827
Click here or on picture to hear Rocky’s tips
Robert Feldman
Home: Chicago, IL USA Years Riding Wheels of Love: 21
Lifetime Fundraising: $139,370
Click here or on picture to hear Robert’s tips
Steven Nachman
Home: Plainview, NY USA Years Riding Wheels of Love: 13
Lifetime Fundraising: $274,338
Click here or on picture to hear Steven’s tips
We know that for many of you, the thought of asking friends for money to fundraise for the ride is uncomfortable and might be uncharted territory.
Don’t worry – fundraising is much easier and more rewarding than you might expect, especially when you are raising money for such an incredible cause. ALYN Hospital is such a unique and special place, that once you share with others about the hospital and the children receiving rehabilitation there, people will be willing to support you. How do we know?
We have over 20 years of experience and thousands of riders who have successfully raised money for ALYN as proof.
WHERE TO START
Remember, the people who will sponsor you will do so because of your relationship with them. They are YOUR friends and YOUR family! They trust what you have to say. The more personal you can make the request, the better. Start by personalizing your fundraising page. You can login to your page and personalize the text and upload a special picture of yourself. Once you have your page set up the way you like it, send the link with an email to your contacts. You can post it on Facebook or other social media. Again, the more personal you can make the request, the more likely you are to receive a favorable response. Remember the four basic rules:
- Aim high. Set an ambitious fundraising goal for yourself. The minimum you need to raise is $360, but we hope you will aim for more. If you can ride for four days straight, up and down hills, through all types of weather, you can certainly go the extra mile for the children of ALYN. Over 50% of riders raise over $6,000. That’s a great goal.
- Make a personal donation. Lead by example. To convince others to make a contribution, it helps to show that you are equally committed to the cause. Your registration fee helps pay for the ride logistics; donations are sent directly to the hospital.
- Ask friends and family. It’s easiest to start with those closest to you. Once you convey your excitement about participating in Wheels of Love and they learn about ALYN, they will be happy to support you. Suggest an amount with which they would be comfortable.
- Expand your asking circle. If you think beyond closest family and friends, there are endless possibilities: neighbors, work colleagues and business associates, acquaintances from school, college, synagogue/church, the health club and your biking club. If you work for a company with a matching gifts program, you may be able to multiply the effect of your gift. A basic rule of fundraising is that the main reason people give is because they have been asked by someone they know and trust. That someone is you!
Thank you letters. Make sure to send a short, personal thank you to each sponsor. Your sponsors will also receive an official thank you and receipt from ALYN, but they will appreciate the personal outreach and the sincere gratitude. OTHER FUNDRAISING IDEAS Corporate sponsorships. Wheels of Love offers public relations opportunities in exchange for corporate sponsorships. There are a number of underwriting opportunities. Please contact the office with questions. Fundraising events. Fundraising doesn’t only have to include sending emails and letters. A number of our riders have come up with creative ways to engage their friends, family members and community to help raise funds for their ride. Things that have been done in the past:
- Spin class held at a local gym
- Bowl-a-thon
- Trampoline park outing
- Team gear (hats, training jerseys) created with corporate sponsorships
- Wine and cheese reception
If there is an event you would like to hold, the office would be happy to help in any way we can, including sending ALYN swag. We are here to support you in your fundraising. Please contact us at any time for ideas or to edit your fundraising page online. Good luck with this important task and we can’t wait to see you!
If you have participated in an ALYN event before, you can log on to your fundraising page using your phone number or email and send this email automatically to your donors.
Dear Friends,
I’m very excited to share with you that this June I will be participating in the Wheels of Love: DC charity bike ride to benefit ALYN Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel’s premier rehabilitation facility for children with disabilities.
Every year, over 3,000 children come to ALYN to receive best-in-class care. Money raised through Wheels of Love is critical to ensuring that ALYN can continue to do amazing work – turning disabilities into abilities! You can learn more about ALYN at www.alyn.org.
This year’s fundraising goal for Wheels of Love: DC is to raise $100,000 to help bridge the shortfall gap between reimbursements and the actual costs of the high-level services provided to the children. My personal fundraising goal is $XXXX. The financial toll of the global pandemic means that we need your support now more than ever.
There are two easy ways to donate:
Donate online with a credit card at INSERT YOUR PERSONAL LINK
You can also send a check:
American Friends of ALYN Hospital
122 E. 42nd Street, Suite 1519
New York, NY 10168.
Thank you, in advance, for supporting me and being as generous as you can be.
YOUR NAME
The American Friends of ALYN is a qualifying 501(c)(3) organization, and your contribution is tax deductible in the US. If you work for a company with a matching gifts program, you may be able to multiply the effect of your gift.
Covid Protocols
We are monitoring health and safety guidelines and will abide by all CDC-recommended protocols. Please follow all communications from us and check the website for updates.
Proof of vaccination or of recent recovery will be required from all participants at check-in. If you wish to send your proof ahead of time please email friends@alynus.org. We intend to ensure the highest level of safety standards, including providing outdoor eating venues whenever possible.
IMPORTANT: If you feel sick or may have been exposed to COVID -19, do NOT come to the event! We will refund your registration fee.
2021 Wheels of Love Rides
