Chai Lifeline has always been on my radar. Our heartstrings can't help but be tugged by pictures of children lit up with joy in the moment despite the difficulty of their lives. Those images became real life for me when my friend Yochi was diagnosed with a serious illness.

While I am sad to update that Yochi has passed while awaiting his transplant. I feel he would want me to continue with this mission to help others as his own life was extended for valuable years with the assistance from Chai Lifeline.

We can imagine that life for a child with cancer or another life-threatening/life-altering condition is regularly impacted with pain, fear, and more challenges we can't imagine if we haven't been there ourselves..

Here is why I am writing once more. For two weeks of every summer, these children are granted the chance to forget about their illnesses and experience life simply as children, rather than patients. A summer in Camp Simcha is an extraordinary opportunity for hundreds of children to restore their fighting spirit and renew their determination to defeat illness and suffering. (To learn more about Camp Simcha and Camp Simcha Special, visit campsimcha.org.)

In Memory of my friend Yochi, I will bike 180 miles through three states to Camp Simcha this summer. Those of you who know me know that the ride will not be easy, but the faces of the campers and staff alike at the finish line mean a lot, especially when we know all of the support from friends that are with us.

I will participate in Bike4Chai on August 14 and 15, 2019. You don’t have to ride along to support this most worthy cause; my goal is to raise $18,000 by then, and I’m counting on you to help me reach it! All donations are 100% tax-deductible.

Please contribute any amount you can by clicking the link below.
bike4chai.com/Efraim

Thank you for supporting me and, more importantly, for supporting the children of Camp Simcha!
Fondly,
Efraim Reiss