Some powered up hills with ease and some wobbled and fell. Some pedaled bravely on their own, with just a little extra help from training wheels, and others rode perched behind their parents. But all 220 riders in this Friday’s “Cycling for Palestine—Give to Jerusalem” arrived to the Dead Sea with a joyful smile.
They were happy to have helped each other complete the 20km journey, and happier still that their achievements would outlast the day by supporting athletic and cultural projects in Jerusalem. Funds raised by the riders in this year’s fourth edition of the ride will go to Silwan, a youth sports development project targeting 200 youth aged 8 – 16, and Ishrakat, a creative arts development initiative from Yabous.
Organized by the Welfare Association and the Welfare Association for Youth in partnership with the Jerusalem Forum, the ride gathered cyclists from all over Jordan, including members of Cycling Jordan, Nader Bikes, Bike Rush and Bedouin Bikes. With so many young faces shining among the participants, the event emphasized the leading role of youth in raising awareness of the Palestinian struggle and contributing to the development and empowerment of Palestinian society.
“We have chosen to dedicate all our efforts to Jerusalem this year as the city is especially targeted by the occupation’s ongoing attempts…to distort and erase its Arabic Palestinian culture,” affirms WAY’s Ahmad Bashir.
For more info – Cycling for Palestine