So what country has more bikes than people, endless fields of tulips, 4,000km of canals and will host #C4G2015?
THE NETHERLANDS!!!!! SAVE THE DATE! July 24-26th, Amsterdam to The Hague, in support of PCRF – Palestine Children’s Relief Fund mental health program in Gaza.
(ps. Registration opening soon) #cycling4gaza #pcrf #C4G2015
Here’s the last #C4G2015 hint and we’ll keep it simple:
This country belongs to a kingdom which has 6 islands, 4 countries, 5 currencies, and
12 provinces. Send us your guesses in the comments below.. The location reveal is THIS MONDAY!
#C4G2015 LOCATION HINT: The country we are cycling in this year has something in common with a sunset, pancakes and osmium. Can you take a guess?
For all of you who know your art, you have a 25% chance of guessing the location of this years cycle if you can guess the artists!
Cycling4Gaza‘s 2015 cycle will be held in a country famous for it’s love for fries, cheese, cheesyfries and licorice. Can you guess where??
We will be releasing 3 more hints over the next few days revealing the location of the 2015 cycle.
Stay tuned!
Unicef estimates 373,000 children in Gaza are in desperate need of psycho-social support. However, given the continuous strain on health resources, mental health issues are often sidelined, leaving thousands of children without appropriate medical attention to heal their traumas and mental scars.
In an effort to raise awareness and much needed funds, Cycling4Gaza is excited to announce that #C4G2015 will support the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund newly launched Pediatric Mental Health Project in Gaza. The goal is to assess children’s needs, provide them the service they require, and train social workers in Gaza on the topic. To date, social workers have received extensive training on administering the two screening questionnaires prepared by the medical professionals assigned by the PCRF.
Over 1,300 children have been screened to date and their subsequent care program is currently being developed! Stay tuned for updates.
Check out the video below for more details.
We are thrilled to be part of this initiative and look forward to your support this year as we prepare for the 2015 cycle (the details for which are coming shortly!)
There’s always a lot of of curiosity from family, friends, supporters and new C4Gers about what happens on the road once the wheels get rolling. Some imagine a group of extremely experienced, well trained, lycra-clad cyclists, zipping through in perfect peloton formations, while others cross their fingers and toes and hope that we just come back unharmed. The truth lies somewhere in between. Annie Robbins from Mondoweiss described Cycling4Gaza as the perfect example of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and I can’t think of a better way to put it.
The Cycling4Gaza (“C4G”) rides always kick off on a Thursday with a team dinner and introductions. This year was no different with 40 cyclists dwindling in throughout the day from all over the world. Our welcome dinner this year was particularly memorable this year with the attendance of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (“PCRF”) Philly chapter, and of course Ahmad Abu Nammous, our 16 year old cyclist and PCRF patient from Gaza.
Friday the 19th September marked the 1st day of the ride. The route had us riding the 130km from Philadelphia to Lancaster. Things start quite early: quick and hearty breakfast, final bike checks, a team photo, a bit of nerves and a lot of excitement and we were on our way. It’s always tricky getting out of the big city with such a large group. Our tour operator Dave Walsh and his team from Best of VA Bike Tours did an excellent job at marking the route with unique postings for us to follow – however, unsurprisingly, some people got lost the first day (and the second day as well, won’t mention any names here!).
We usually spend most of the day, apart from breaks, on our bikes. A highlight of our rides is the time we get to spend with one another while cycling. I thoroughly enjoyed these stretches – meeting the other cyclists, learning about their own unique life stories. On the first day, right after our morning snack break, Ahmad got on the bike for the first time. The entire team was a bit worried about him, since he was having issues with his prosthetic leg and had been on crutches minutes before. But Ahmad was eager to start cycling. When it was time for him to join us once we were out of busy city traffic, Ahmed casually dropped the crutches and got straight onto his bike. Before anyone had the time to process this, he was already well on his way, weaving through the group, and racing to the front of the line. What he would keep reminding us during the cycle was that, despite his serious injury, he was just a regular 16 year old kid, who wanted to ride his bike as fast as he could.
Day 1 was perfect riding condition: open roads, beautiful weather, endless corn fields and a few rolling hills in Amish country. We were thrilled to make it to Lancaster and to complete one third of our ride. The second day saw us riding from Lancaster to Cockeysville. It was an easier day in the saddle – we were more comfortable riding together, and nearly everyone had mastered reading the C4G route markings. In York, we were invited by the very hospitable Quaker York Meeting house for our morning pit stop. Most of the ride on Day 2 was along the railroad tracks – upside: flat roads. Downside: uncomfortable cycling on gravel. In the evening, we grouped at dinner for a couple of birthday celebrations, followed by a ‘fireside’ chat with Ahmed. Most of us have never been to Gaza or met anyone who lives there. Listening to Ahmed talking about things ranging from his favourite subjects at school (none) to more serious issues like his injury and the three wars he witnessed deeply marked each one of us. Ahmed brought to life the cause we had all been working so hard for, and he made our drive even stronger and our goal more worthy than ever. We all went to bed with Gaza on our minds that night.
It’s still surprising how fast day 3 came, yet how long it seemed to last! It was the toughest day of riding. We were faced with a lot of steep hills in the morning fog, and still had to ride 130km at a decent pace to make sure we arrived in DC on time. Although tired from 2 days of cycling, the thought of being so close to the finish line and so close to successfully finishing C4G2014 worked wonders for self-motivation. Another wonderfully supportive Quaker house hosted us for lunch, this time in Sandy Springs, 30 miles from DC. We were delighted to have a new group of supporters join us along the last stretch as we cycled together towards Capitol Hill. The last few miles were unforgettable – everyone’s energy picked up and we rode together in a beautiful formation, cheering for ourselves and getting lots of supportive honks and words of encouragement from those we passed. This carried on all the way through to the finish line, where we were welcomed by a huge group of cheering supporters.
The final moments of cycling into our destination, meeting supporters, and taking photos together, always make every mile we cycle and every hill we climb worth all of the pain. To those who came out and greeted us in DC, who cycled part of the route with us, who joined us on the first night in Philadelphia to show their support (PCRF chapter), who hosted us in their meeting houses (the Quaker community in Pennsylvania and Maryland) – thank you for your support; you gave us motivation when we most needed it. Thank you also to our long-time supporters worldwide, who allow us to keep Cycling4Gaza going and growing stronger year after year, and to our hero cyclists, who pushed through all of the pain in the name of our cause.
It’s incredible to witness 40 strangers from all walks of life and all corners of the world, driven by a common goal, come together for 3 days and instantaneously ‘click’. It’s incredible to witness this remarkable display of compassion, camaraderie, passion, and motivation unfold – and this is one of the many reasons why C4G will always be an unforgettable journey.
41 Cyclists covered over 360 km from Philadelphia to Washington DC over 3 days; in support of the REACH Gaza project in partnership with the PCRF.
Thanks to all your efforts over USD 160,000 has been raised to provide vital medical care for the children in Gaza. We are now USD 90,000 away from our target! Continue to support this amazing initiative:
Check out the Pictures Below:
Enjoying a group massage session at lunch
A quick rest before arrival at the hotel
Non stop enthusiasm!
Majorly awesome photographic skills, best C4G photo yet!
Arrival into Capitol Hill, Washington DC on the 22nd of September 2014
1. Joining us on the last leg of the cycle or the solidarity rally for Gaza on the 21st of Septemberin DC – Meet at 12:00 p.m. at Sandy Springs Meeting Point – Click here for updates AND Click here to SIGN UP
2. Donating
3. Following us and share on: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @cycling4gaza
4. Sending us messages and pictures on Twitter #C4G2014
8 Days to go before the 2014 Cycling Event takes place in the US.
Check out the video below. A few words from Ahmed, a 16 year old boy from Gaza who will be joining us in the US for the 2014 cycle!
We are all so excited to have him with us!
SAVE THE DATE: Cycling in solidarity with the children of Gaza
Washington DC, Sunday, September 21st
We are inviting family, friends and Cycling4gaza supporters to cycle with us on our last leg into Washington DC!
We are still working with the authorities in DC to finalize the details, However, the plan is to meet at noon at Sandy Spring Friends Meeting, then cycle down Beach Drive through Rock Creek Park ending on the south side of the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Capital. We will be providing constant updates via social media for people to join us along the way!
More details to follow.. Stay tuned. Spread the word! #cycling4gaza #C4G2014
A few words by Annie Robbins about Cycling4Gaza and the REACH Gaza project, published by Mondoweiss.
“Astoundingly, Cycling4Gaza, a tiny non profit NGO, founded in 2009 after the Cast Lead massacre, has already raised well over $1million for health care and education projects in the besieged Gaza Strip. A staggering sum from an organization initiated by 4 young friends hanging posters on London streets to recruit fellow cyclists for their first trek from London to Paris.”
Cycling4Gaza to stage Philly to DC trek in mid-September
Thank you all for your awesome support. We have filled all our places on the 2014 Cycling4Gaza cycle in the US this September.
Registration for this event is officially closed.
However there are other ways to continue supporting our efforts.
Donate: www.pcrf.net/cycling4gaza
Check out: www.cycling4gaza.com/get-involved/
Email us: info@cycling4gaza.com
Cycling4Gaza is front news in The National!
www.thenational.ae/UAE/riders-needed-for-350km-us-cycle-trip-to-aid-gaza
