Wounded IDF vets to ride bicycles across Israel with FIDF supporters
The cross-country bike ride will take place November 2-8 and the organization expects more than 50 American participants.
By RACHEL WOLFFIDF 4th Annual Ride participants(photo credit: GILAD KAVALERCHIK)
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) will hold its 5th Annual Ride, a six-day bike ride through Israel that brings together Americans and wounded IDF combat veterans. FIDF says that it "aims to show solidarity with Israeli soldiers" through the ride.FIDF says that more than 50 American supporters are expected to join cross-country ride along with Israeli cycling champion Roy Goldstein.The organization supports the veterans participating in the event through rehabilitation programs and even provides them with prosthetic devices.“We are exteremly excited to be hosting our 5th FIDF Annual Ride in Israel. Biking across Israel with wounded veterans will help participants really experience the land, and the impact FIDF makes on the brave men and women who benefit from our programs,” said FIDF Midwest Executive Director Tamir Oppenheim. “This bike ride will provide an incredible opportunity for FIDF supporters to explore Israel in a fun and challenging way.”The first part of the journey takes cyclists from Eilat to Mitzpe Ramon, a crater in the Negev Desert. The next day, after a short bus trip, they will ride from Mount Carmel to Caesaria and will finish in Tel Aviv. They are also schedules to ride through the Judean Hills and visit an Israeli Air Force base."The ride will allow the participants, all of whom are avid cyclists, to show solidarity with and support for the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) while they visit unique military sites, meet with soldiers on IDF bases along the way, and learn about the historical and geographical background of Israel and its borders. Activities for non-cyclists who participate in the trip will be available as well," FIDF wrote in a press release.FIDF was established by a group of Holocaust survivors in 1981, as a not-for-profit organization with the mission of offering educational, cultural, recreational and social programs and facilities to provide hope, purpose and life-changing support for soldiers in Israel.Today, FIDF has more than 150,000 supporters and 24 chapters in the United States and Panama.
FIDF supports IDF soldiers, families of fallen soldiers and wounded veterans through a variety of innovative programs that reinforce the bond between communities in the US, IDF soldiers and the State of Israel.Anna Ahronheim contributed to this article.
