Team Great Neck rides for kids

A dentist from Little Neck is proving that charity extends beyond our borders. Dr. Scott Danoff will be participating in Israel’s “Wheels of Love” bike ride to raise money for ALYN hospital.
As a dentist, it is only natural for Danoff to be interested in the health of others but he feels a special bond with those much less fortunate than himself. ALYN hospital in Jerusalem is one of the worlds’ leading centers for the active and intensive rehabilitation of children with physical disabilities.
The children who seek treatment there often suffer from congenital conditions and the effects of car accidents, fires or other situations. The therapy can be expensive and while ALYN provides state-of-the-art care and equipment, they depend almost entirely on private donations.
Although this is his first time riding in Wheels of Love, Danoff and his Team Great Neck are excited about the five-day, 300-mile bike challenge. Almost all of the money raised goes to providing the children with rehabilitative care, which is unique for such a large charity.
The event will begin on Sunday morning, October 28, from Tiberius and will end in Jerusalem Thursday afternoon, November 1. The ride includes four routes: On-Road, On-Road Challenge, Off-Road and Touring, which are a half-day of cycling and a half-day of touring. The route for 2007 includes scenery up North, including the Golan, the Galilee, the valleys, and a ride down the coast to Tel Aviv.
Thursday’s ride will ascend to Jerusalem, entering the city as a large group and ending with celebrations at the hospital. Danoff hopes to raise $50,000 for his ride but says he feels he “should be able to exceed that. The people are very generous. I’ve raised money for other organizations and they are very willing to give.”
Also participating will be his wife Laura and Charles Goldberg, Mitch Feldman, Aviva Finkelstein, Cori Franco, Jeff Blye and Adam Bergenfield. “It’s a great feeling to walk into the hospital on the fifth day and see the children who are innocently born into their situations. I work to make money but doing this is what’s fulfilling in life.”
Donations can be made online at www.ALYNUS.ORG. Please credit Team Great Neck under “Rider’s Name.”
Checks can also be submitted and made out to “American Friends of ALYN Hospital.” Please write Team Great Neck in the memo section. Checks will be collected by Dr. Scott Danoff at 49-33 Little Neck Parkway, Little Neck, NY 11362.
If your company has a matching gift program, please fax their form to 212-768-0979.