On Sunday, June 12, dozens of Wheels of Love participants cycled together in the beautiful Washington, DC-area to support ALYN Hospital in Israel.

It was a day shared by new and veteran an ALYN riders and volunteers including board members. What do they all have in common? A shared passion to raise as much as possible for the children of ALYN.

The day started off as a challenge. The weather was not in our favor and the safety of our participants was the only concern. The decision was to delay a couple of hours and hope the storm passed. It did!

The sky cleared as our cyclists started rolling together as a community, having chosen either a 35- or 50-mile route. Our Dream Rides team had carefully planned and marked our scenic routes. Our volunteers were incredible, including our marshals who kept an eye on our riders along the way. PepsiCo and Herr’s generously donated snacks and drinks for the day. Moti’s Market once again provided our fuel for the day, including beer and pizza to celebrate the end of our riding day.

One of our rest stops was staffed by second and third generation ALYN supporters, Scott and Alex Lasensky, who greeted each of our riders in Rock Creek Park. One rider brought his grandsons and another brought his son along for a day of cycling for a cause.

AFAH’s one-day Wheels of Love US-rides began in 2021 as pandemic-era events to achieve multiple goals: raise awareness and funds for ALYN Hospital, introduce new cyclists to our Wheels of Love family and, most importantly, to bring our community together for a cause that is near and dear to all of our hearts – supporting ALYN’s lifechanging work!