After trekking over 150 miles, one hundred Bike4Chai bikers arrived at Camp Simcha’s doorstep expecting a decent reception. To their disappointment, the whole camp was just frozen in place at the side of the road. Just as they were about to turn around and bike home, Dembi screamed the magic word, EPIC!, and the place went wild. With streamers flying, fog machines billowing, and a helicopter over head to record the sight, the bikers entered “The Happiest Place on Earth.” They were greeted by hundreds of campers and staff members screaming, dancing, and cheering them on. As they passed through the tunnel of campers, they each received dozens of high fives and a big thank you. After catching their breath, drinking some water, and soaking in the smiles, the bikers headed to the viewing stand where they posed for a group picture. They all seemed quite exhausted, yet, at the same time, very gratified.
While the bikers took a break on the bleachers, our in house wheeler team, the Camp Sincha Rollers, performed a beautifully choreographed wheel chair dance. They danced to a brand new song, “Ridin’ Simcha,” that was produced by Camp Simcha Special for Bike4Chai. The song was recorded in our brand new, on campus, Camp Simcha recording studio.
After heading to the showers to wash and change, the bikers joined us in the dining room where they were served a feast (quite typical for us), complete with lots of carbs. After finishing their tasty chocolate chip cookies, the bikers joined us in the center of the dining room where we showed them some Lunch EPICification. After observing just a few moments of our upROAR, they were thoroughly convinced that they are supporting the best possible cause. Many of them couldn’t resist the energy and opted to join in. We put on quite an intense show for our guests, with campers and staff bouncing, screaming, singing, and dancing like there was no tomorrow. Of course our in-house band, The British Invasion, helped EPICify the environment by playing the most pumping Camp Simcha Special like music possible. Our campers’ excitement was palpable as they climbed on staff members’ shoulders or were hoisted up in their wheelchairs.
As of this morning, Bike4Chai 2011 has raised $518,064.65. We thank them for doing what they did, so that we can do what we do best!