Friends and family,

Below is a message from my dear friend, Shaya Speter. This is my impetus for my involvement with Bike4Chai.

"On July 21st, our lives were forever changed. I'll never forget that day. It was sunny from the start, my kids went to camp, and I went about my work. My sweet five year old daughter had a great day at camp, but was dealing with what we believed were bad allergies. At 4pm, I took her to the pediatrician. After examining her eyes, nose, ears, and throat, the doctor stepped put for a moment and returned with a colleague. They found something concerning but could not determine what it was. We were sent to Yale Children's Hospital and spent the next several hours in the emergency department. Finally, at 11pm, she was to be anesthetized so they could have a closer look in the operating room. An hour later, the doctor came out and said it was a mass. My daughter has cancer. Fast forward to the present day. She had endured 6 weeks of radiation, which ran concurrent with the 28 weeks of chemotherapy she has had thus far. She has lost weight, her appetite, is in and out of the hospital, 3, 4, and sometimes 5, even 8 day stretches at a time. If there is one thing I know for sure, it's that she is stronger than any of us. She goes to school whenever possible, even after radiation and chemo on the same day! She has a spark of life that dispels the darkness that tries to envelop her. She is simply amazing! The Jewish community has been there for her, for us. From the Tehillim group with hundreds of people, many of whom I have never met, to the meal trains, and Shabbos hosts for my other children when I have to go to the hospital. So many folks have offered to help and be there for us in any way. And now we have this group of riders who want to dedicate their Bike4Chai ride to my daughter's refuah. This annual event supports Chai Lifeline, supports children with serious illnesses and their families. If you are looking for a cause, a charity to donate to, let it be this one. This organization is truly there to help people. To help those who feel helpless. Thank you to those who support this group of riders, and may Hashem give my sweet girl, Carmiya Chaya Hadas bas Tziporah Miriam a refuah that is full, quick and as painless as possible. May Hashem merit us to share besoros tovos bekarov! -Shaya Speter"

Folks, again, this summer, I will be taking part in Bike4Chai, an exhilarating and challenging cycling event benefiting the children and families of Chai Lifeline. Every mile I ride and every dollar I raise will help support critical programs and services for more than 6,000 families impacted by illness, crisis, and loss. These services include counseling and case management, meals delivered to hospitals and homes, transportation to medical appointments, emergency financial assistance, insurance advocacy, i-Shine afterschool programming, Big Brothers/Sisters, crisis and trauma intervention, and Chai Lifeline’s flagship medically-supervised summer programs, Camp Simcha, Camp Simcha Special, and Camp Simcha Without Borders. I’ve committed to raising $5,000 for this important cause and I hope I can count on you to help me reach my goal. All donations are 100% tax-deductible.  Please contribute generously by clicking on the donate button now. On behalf of the children and families of Chai Lifeline, thank you for your support.

Eli

PS. For more information regarding this ride please visit www.bike4chai.org