What’s he raising funds for???
After weeks of his badgering, I finally agreed to let him participate in November’s 5-day Wheels of Love Bike Ride for Alyn Hospital in Israel.
To participate, he MUST raise $2500, and my condition was that he must pay his own airfare to Israel. Naturally, because it will all benefit this amazing hospital and children in need, he selflessly agreed. Ha ha ha ha.
(But nu, what a sweet and determined boy!)
When he said I should ask at my blog, I cynically tried to tell him that nobody will listen, nobody will care, nobody donates anything to anybody's blog. (smart kid; he pointed out that DovBear regularly requests and presumably receives donations)
But now he's gone to bed and I'm posting this and I'm not saying you-all have to raise the $2500 alone, but if everybody reading this could give SOMETHING, it would sure make me look very slightly superhero-like in the eyes of a kid.
There’s more information below from his email (with mommy commentaries – mom-entaries? – in bold print), but if you want to go straight over there and make a donation (any amount!), click here.
(Link is to the Canadian site, but you can donate there from anywhere in the world as long as you don’t care about a receipt. If you need a US tax receipt – for larger amounts – please contact me at Jay3fer “at” gmail “dot” com and I’ll get you the information you need.)
ALYN Hospital ~ Transforming Disabilities into Abilities!
Dear Friend,
I am so excited to become a part of the WHEELS OF LOVE bike ride. On November 6, 2011 [iy”h – God and Mommy willing], I will join 500 cyclists from around the world and will spend 5 days on my bike riding 300 miles. I’ve heard the other riders are great and so is the scenery [they’re even doing the off-road portion!]. But the real motivation is the amazing kids treated at ALYN Hospital. [plus his best friend is going] This is a chance for me to help improve the lives of physically disabled children treated at ALYN Hospital. [Yup, improving lives is his middle name. Right after Meir.]
ALYN Hospital is a one-of-a-kind place. It is one of the world’s leading specialists in the active and intensive rehabilitation of physically disabled children, adolescents and young adults. Patients benefit from ALYN’s ability to transform disabilities into abilities regardless of their religious belief, nationality or ethnic background. One step into ALYN and you would understand the uniqueness of the Hospital and the bravery of its children and staff.
You know how passionate I am about children. [perhaps because he IS one!] And you know how much I love both Israel and my bike. [true and true] This is the absolutely perfect way for me to combine all three. ALYN gets no automatic government allocations and there is a shortfall every minute of every day between the true cost of each child’s care and the amount reimbursed by health insurance. I am committed to helping diminish that shortfall. I can handle the pedaling if you can help me with the fundraising.
I know this economy presents a real challenge for all of us. And it’s a challenge each of us could easily walk away from. [or ride, on a bike!] But the kids at ALYN face worse challenges every day and they don’t have the option of walking away. So I am asking you to join me in helping these children by sponsoring me with as generous a gift as possible. Let’s make sure that the worldwide economic crisis does not become a treatment crisis for the children at ALYN. I am committed to push myself, following the lead of the heroic children of ALYN. If they can do it - so can I [and my good friend Elijah!]! But I can’t do it without you!
Please support my efforts by making a tax-deductible donation by clicking on the link below or by mailing a check to the American Friends of ALYN Hospital, 51 East 42nd Street, Suite 308 New York, NY 10017. Please be sure to put my name in the memo line of the check [or, as we say in Canada, cheque].
Thank you in advance for your generous support!
Sincere gratitude, [Sure, he came up with that phrase all by himself!]
The YBoy
Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support Canadian Friends of ALYN Hospital
Question - if I am from outside the US, does some of the money that I donate get lost in bank currency exchange fees?
ReplyDeleteShoshana:
ReplyDeleteSorry, I don't know exactly... and maybe I'm not sure what you mean. :-)
If you use a credit card, and your credit card company charges an exchange fee, that's gone before it even gets to Alyn.
But if you're asking what THEY ie the tzedakah does or is charged with the money, I'm not sure. It's my understanding that these Israeli organizations set up "Canadian friends of" and "American friends of" to facilitate the receipt process and perhaps streamline the fees for transferring money internationally so they're handled more efficiently.
Sorry I can't tell you more. :-(