JJ Eizik (bottom) with his trainer David Roher training this past Wednesday evening. (Photo Credit: Janet Roher)

Bike4Chai: Rockland Residents Raise $10,000

LoHud.com

JJ Eizik of Monsey rides the only handcycle in one of the largest bicycle fundraisers in the country: Bike4Chai.

Eizik, who lost his left leg to a rare form of cancer when he was a teenager, uses the adaptive bicycle in a 180-mile journey to raise money for children who suffer from cancer or chronic illness.

The ride, Bike4Chai (chai is the Hebrew word for life), will start Aug. 14 in Princeton, New Jersey, and end the following afternoon at Camp Simcha in Sullivan County.

“The most amazing part is really crossing the finish line, where not only are we greeted by the children and our families and the camp, but they set up the finish line like you’re finishing the Olympics and every single one of us feels like an amazing Olympian,” rider Joseph Zupnik said Tuesday in a Wesley Hills park.

The cyclists will gather a half-mile from camp so everyone can finish the ride together.

“They all ride in as one,” Chai Lifeline Chief Marketing Officer Matt Yaniv said. “It’s a really powerful moment. They’re surrounded by campers, families, they’re all celebrating.”

Camp Simcha (the Hebrew word for joy) is the flagship program for Chai Lifeline, a nonprofit organization that helps sick children. The summer camp has boys’ and girls’ sections for cancer and for other chronic illnesses or disabilities.

Riders have raised about $7.9 million as of Tuesday. Each rider or team needs to raise $10,000 to participate. The goal is to raise $10 million to commemorate Bike4Chai’s 10th year. A womens-only ride, the Tour de Simcha, raised about $1.3 million in July.

Over the last decade, Bike4Chai has raised nearly $48.7 million for Camp Simcha. The Tour de Simcha has raised about $6 million since 2012.

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