Wheely good effort! Nine barmitzvah boys raise £12K with charity bike ride

Nine barmitzvah boys were literally riding high on success after raising nearly £12,000 from a 10-mile charity bike ride.

Isaac Gordon, Rafi Singer, Josh Marcus, Daniel Levy, Ryan Stock, Jacob Kagan, Noah Graham, Harry Crystal and Zac Sugarman, who all attended Kerem School in Hampstead Garden Suburb together, decided to put their best feet forward for a good cause ahead of their barmitzvahs, which will be marked in the coming weeks from now until December.

Originally the youngsters wanted to raise £5,000 for Alzheimer’s Research, Camp Simcha, Diabetes UK, Grief Encounter and Myisrael, but they have more than doubled their target, with nearly £12,000 including Gift Aid donated by well-wishers so far.

The fundraiser, which was organised by mums Susan Stock and Jayne Levy, took place last Friday, with the boys cycling along the Dollis Valley Greenwalk.

A statement on their fundraising page said: “Our celebrations will now look a bit different, but we still want to mark this special simcha by making a difference and raising money for some worthwhile charities.”

In addition to their bike ride, the boys organised a food and toiletries collection for GIFT, which supports the elderly, disabled and vulnerable families in the community.

JFS student Daniel Levy, who marks his barmitzvah on 7 November, said: “Not only did we have great fun on the cycle ride, but we are so excited to have raised more than £11,000 for some amazing charities and it has made our barmitzvahs even more meaningful.”

To donate to the fundraiser, click here