GLEN SPEY, N.Y.—A band of 413 men biked 180 miles from Stanford, Connecticut, through New Jersey, to Camp Simcha in Glen Spey, New York. When they triumphantly rode across the finish line through a crowd of thousands on Aug. 6, they also brought with them an invisible force—compassion, and almost $6 million.
The Bike 4 Chai riders were mostly Jewish businessmen, professionals, and family guys, hailing from places nearby like Brooklyn and New Jersey, and place more faraway, like Los Angeles, Canada, and Israel. They put their hearts and souls into raising money for a completely free summer camp for children with difficult illnesses such as cancer and with special needs and disabilities.
“Between July 2nd and August 2nd, we clocked 650 miles in training,” said David Chutter from Manhattan’s Upper West Side. “On a good year we’re knocking out 1,500 to 2,000 miles in training.”
Camp Simcha, which is Hebrew for happiness, is a place for sick children to go and enjoy being children and have the summer of their lives. It is set up with a fully operational hospital and care system to accommodate the children. It is also fully kosher.
Bike 4 Chai (“Chai” means “life” in Hebrew) is organized by Chai Lifeline, an international children’s health support network. Chai’s dozens of programs help sick children and their families cope with the emotional, financial, and social impacts of serious illness.
The Ride
The scenic two-day bike ride had pit stops in places like Bear Mountain, New York, and Tuxedo Park, New York, on the first day, and day two had them passing through and stopping in Orange County towns including Port Jervis, Otisville, and Sparrow Bush before riding the last mile together into the camp.
They were greeted by around 1,600 family and supporters, a big party, and gourmet BBQ at the gorgeous 125-acre camp nestled in the woods just off the famous Hawk’s Nest scenic drive along the Delaware River on New York’s Route 97.
The first four men to arrive at the Mount Hope Park in Otisville for a refreshment stop breezed in at 9:15 a.m. on the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 5. They included Tour de France cyclists George Hincapie and Christian Vander Velde. Former NFL wide receiver Amani Toomer was another proud rider this year.
It was all started six years ago by a lone rider, Dovid Egert, who raised $10,000 to ride from his hometown of Lakewood, New Jersey, to the camp. The next year he was joined by 39 others, and Bike 4 Chai was born.
Each year they plan a different route, making it as scenic and challenging as possible.
Large Donations
The men gathered donations through their work contacts, families, and communities.
“Most of the riders are higher up in their companies, CEOs. They bring in their own sponsorship through their personal relationships and contacts,” Director of Bike 4 Chai Yoel Margolese said while at the Mount Hope Park in Otisville, en route. Yoel spent all year organizing the event, along with Executive Director Rabbi Sruli Fried, and Producer Mindy Tyner and a support team.
