LOS ANGELES, CA – On Sunday, October 29th, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles hosted its 5th annual Tour de Summer Camps, the community-wide cycling and hiking fundraiser that raises money to provide scholarships to send more kids to Jewish summer camp and help them build lifelong connections to Jewish identity and values. The event featured four bike routes – 18, 36, 62 (metric century), and 100 (century) miles – and new this year, three hike routes – 1, 3, and 6 miles. With over 650 cyclists and hikers, this year’s Tour de Summer Camps set record-breaking achievements and raised over $1.2 million to help send kids to Jewish summer camp. The day began at Camp Alonim on the Brandeis-Bardin Campus of the American Jewish University in Simi Valley, California.
Federation President & CEO Jay Sanderson, said, “It is overwhelming to see so many people at this event over the past five years. Tour de Summer Camps brings the whole community together to raise funds to make sure every Jewish child, no matter the family’s financial status, can have an enriching summer experience.” He continued, “This event is incredibly supported and attended by the community, because we all know that Jewish summer camp is one of the greatest drivers of Jewish identity. Thank you to everyone who joined us, and we look forward to future events that positively impact our community.”
The goal of Tour de Summer Camps is to provide the opportunity and ability for every child that wants to attend Jewish summer camp. Attending Jewish summer camp as a child translates into maintaining a strong Jewish identity as an adult. Proceeds from the ride will support summer camp scholarships to give more kids that lifelong connection to Judaism that Jewish summer camps provide, which in turn helps ensure the Jewish future – one of The Jewish Federation’s top priorities.
Rodney Freeman, Ride-Master of Tour de Summer Camps, remarked, “The entire community – family, friends, community partners, and more – has embraced this special event. What an amazing thing to see your dream become a reality. Tour de Summer Camps has become a day to celebrate the good in our community, which has resulted in almost $6 million dollars raised over five years to benefit Jewish camping scholarships.” He continued, “My dream is that every child with the desire to attend Jewish summer camp will be able to do so, regardless of their family’s financial capabilities. Through Tour de Summer Camps, the Los Angeles community is making it come true!”
For more information, please email Alana Weiner at AWeiner@JewishLA.org