Every fall for the past five years, Dr. Kevin Shrock, an orthopaedic surgeon from Ft. Lauderdale, has embarked on the grueling five-day Wheels of Love charity bike ride through Israel.
Although the 400-mile ride can be an exhausting trek, Dr. Shrock always finds it satisfying when he crosses the finish line and sees the faces of the patients for whom he and the 600-plus riders are riding. “Its a great sense of fulfillment when you arrive at the hospital after several days of intense riding, and seeing the families and the kids,” he says. “Its pretty phenomenal. Finishing there is just the icing on the cake. You come away not only invigorated from the ride, but also by being reminded of the reason we do this ride in the first place.”
Now in its 10th year, the Wheels of Love charity ride attracts hundreds of cyclists from all over the world. The funds that are raised for the event go toward supporting the ALYN Hospital Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Center in Jerusalem. The hospital is the premier rehab center in the Middle East for children of all faiths and ethnicities injured in terrorist attacks, road accidents, or suffering from congenital conditions and physical limitations due to various illnesses. Last year, more than $2 million was raised, and organizers expect a similar amount this year.
Each of the participants inspires numerous friends, family members, and colleagues to become involved by sponsoring them. The special family characteristic of Wheels of Love expands to include more participants and donors from an ever increasing number of countries every year and today comprises tens of thousands of such valued partners.
This years ride consisted of five days of up to 85 miles daily and up to 11,500 vertical feet of climbing per day through the Golan Heights and along the mountainous Israeli-Lebanese and Syrian borders.
Wheels of Love offers four routes for riders, including a touring group where less experienced riders can ride 15 to 30 miles a day and also visit an archaeological site, museum, or another site of interest.
Additionally, there is an off-road groupmountain bike riders who do off road riding, trail riding, and dirt roads. A regular on-road group is comprised of roadside cyclists who ride about 300 miles. Finally, the group that Dr. Shrock rides with is the challenge group.
“The challenge group is for those of us who dare to ride further, climb higher up steeper mountain roads, and do so much faster than the other groups,” he says. “The real challenge for me is trying to train for riding up mountains in flat South Florida.” Each Wheels of Love rider commits to raise a minimum of $2,000. Many riders, however, set higher personal goals. According to the organizers of the ride, from 2004 through 2008 the average amount raised by each rider per year was $5,400.
About 70 percent of the money raised goes directly towards their goal of meeting the shortfall for each patients care, and thereby helps to ensure that each of the pediatric patients continue to receive rehabilitation. Dr. Shrock personally contributes the required $2,000 so that a greater percentage of his donors contributions go towards patient care.
