Barmitzvah boy enlists canine friends for Camp Simcha fundraiser

A Mill Hill barmitzvah boy has found that when it comes to fundraising,
four legs can be better than two.

Zack Reinhold, 12, who attends JFS school, raised £1,400 with a sponsored dog walk to raise money for Camp Simcha, in the run-up to his barmitzvah.

Fifteen dogs and around 30 owners joined him in the event at Sunny Hill Park in Hendon. Zack chose to raise funds for the charity, which supports families coping with serious childhood illness, because his dog Cookie is the puppy of a dog owned by family Camp Simcha has helped.

‘We came up with the idea of the sponsored dog walk because we thought it would be fun, and also a bit different,’ said Zack.

‘I already knew about the work of Camp Simcha because my school had raised money for them in the past. With Cookie’s background, it seemed like the perfect charity to choose.

‘No child should have to go through what some of the children supported by Camp Simcha go through, so I liked the idea of giving to a charity which really helps children in that situation,’ added Zack.

The event also became a bit of a family reunion for Cookie, when her mum Daisy and some of her siblings from Daisy’s litter came with their owners.

Camp Simcha chief executive Neville Goldschneider said: ‘We are so grateful and appreciative when bar and bat mitzvah boys and girls choose to fundraise for us as part of their simcha. Zack came up with a really original idea which raised a fantastic amount to help us keep providing practical, therapeutic and emotional support services to families who need us.’