We are delighted to inform you that the 2022 Get Into Geerz charity ride was a spectacular success.  The annual ride is our flagship fundraiser and we were privileged to shatter all previous records regarding the amount of riders, total funds raised, total raised per rider and corporate sponsorships. The ride itself was magnificent and took place in the deep green hills of Israel's upper Galilee. We were blessed with perfect weather after months of rain, and the euphoria and enthusiasm of the riders was palpable. One hundred riders enjoyed top-notch accomodations, food, pit-stops, support staff, swag, entertainment and amenities. Our riders hailed from all over Israel and we even hosted riders from the United States. The ride has developed into one of the premier cycling activities in Israel and we continue our efforts to set new standards each year. The long months we spent planning every detail of the ride was clearly appreciated by the riders as over two thirds of our riders registered for the 2023 ride within 24 hours after this ride.

The highlight of the event was a deeply moving presentation at the gala dinner about the way Geerz transforms the lives of hundreds of kids each year. The mother of an eleven year old Geerz partcipant spoke, via video presentation, about the impact that Geerz had on her son who had developed severe social anxiety during the covid crisis. A Geerz instructor also spoke about the growth he witnessed with his group in a youth village with special focus on a particularly challenging young man who went from group trouble maker to mentoring the younger kids.

Most importantly, the funds raised by our riders in conjunction with the generous support of donors, such as yourselves, has enabled us to reach our ambitious goal of raising $800,000 for our annual campaign. These funds will enable us to open up a record number of groups and continue our expansion into additional youth villages and Gaza periphery towns.  

The 2023 Get Into Geerz Ride is scheduled for March 19-21, 2023. Looking forward to seeing you there.

One question that we are frequently asked by people who are unfamiliar with Geerz is "how does Geerz differ from other after school sports activities?" It's an excellent question and this article will attempt to shed light on this issue. All sports activities, whether in an individual or group setting, are highly beneficial. There are endless metaphors describing how sports challenges mirror real life challenges. However, what about the kid who is too insecure or anxious to participate in team sports? What if the child lacks the coordination and athletic ability to make his participation a positive rather than humiliating experience? What if the child suffers from a sense of trauma or abandonment and needs the patience and guidance of a genuine mentor? Most Geerz programs are designed for precisely the kind of child who is unlikely to succeed in a standard after-school sports activity. 

Geerz doesn't simply put kids on mountain bikes and take them out to conquer the hills. Geerz nurtures, educates and empowers kids via an incredibly innovative curriculum which is constantly being honed and updated. The Geerz program is actually an incredibly effective form of therapy, made all the more effective precisely because it is disguised as the antithesis of therapy. We spare kids the stigma of the therapist's chair and empower them to take responsibility for their lives. The program is designed for kids struggling with issues such as ADHD, PTSD, autism, anxiety, eating disorders, behavioral and family problems. Our multi-faceted program incorporates therapeutic, physical and educational components to address the most pressing issues encountered by troubled youth. 
 

Mountain biking is the ideal vehicle for the this ambitious mission. It is an incredibly challenging activity but one that provides rewarding and discerning progress at every step of the process. The magnificent trails offer a sense of beauty and adventure. Ridng them builds resilience and encourages kids to adopt positive behaviors and surmount obstacles. The Geerz curriculum harnesses this magic by imparting critical life and social skills in the context of a fun, supportive and adventurous environment. Our instructors are not merely bikers, they are educators and mentors. The program effectively addresses a wide range of acute social issues. Geerz has been proven especially effective in helping minority and immigrant youth overcome the formidable challenges of integration and shifting social dynamics. The program and training are condcucted by experienced and dedicated educational professionals, who specialize in both formal and non-formal education. More than 75% of our participants are referred by mental health, medical and education professionals. 

Each week, throughout the academic year, the kids head for the trails for a thrilling 90-minute session. Each session includes a progressively more challenging trail ride coupled with skills training. The skills training covers three primary areas: Life skills, riding skills, and mechanical skills. Halfway through the session, our riders pause to rest their bodies and activate their minds. On each ride, a different facet of life is presented, explored and debated. Two to four instructors are dedicated to each group of 8-15 riders for the entire year. The favorable instructor-to-rider ratio allows our staff to give significant personal attention to every rider and enables the kids to build meaningful relationships with highly positive role models. By design, our five-year curriculum is structured to progressively build various strengths, constantly spurring youth to interact and discover their own skills and strengths. Indeed, the vast majority of our participants join the program year after year and this allows us to achieve extraordinary results.

So how effective is Geerz? In a word....VERY. In our most recent end-of-year survey, over 86% of parents indicated that their child’s self-esteem improved significantly due to involvement with Geerz. 85% of parents reported major improvement in their child’s sense of responsibility, and over 90% noted significant improvement in physical fitness. Parents also reported substantial improvements in their children’s social interactions, academic success and positive attitude. One of the proudest measures of our success is the fact that more than half of our assistant instructors are former Geerz riders themselves, who have committed to give back to the community while earning income for the first time in their lives.

For the hundreds of kids that we serve each year, Geerz is not merely a great activity, it is life transforming. Read more on our website about why mountain biking is so effective.

Goal: Understand the importance of performing a pre-ride bike check  

• A quick safety check should be done of the bicycle before each ride. ABCD should take less than 1 minute. It is up to each rider to make sure that their bike is in good working order – with your help.  
• Before each ride, a bike check should be performed as a group activity. It is a way for the Instructor to review what their riders know. 
• A-air: Are the tires properly pumped? Do they spin freely? 
• B-brakes: Are the brakes in working order? When you apply pressure on the brakes does it stop the tire from spinning freely? Never start if you can’t stop! 
• C-chain: Do the chain or cables need oiling? Is the derailleur shifting properly?
• D-drink: Do they have proper water? (1.5 liters)

Story: The Battle of the Beetles
On the slope of Long’s Peak in Colorado lies the ruin of a gigantic tree. Naturalists tell us that it stood for some four hundred years. It was a seedling when Columbus landed at San Salvador, and half grown when the pilgrims settled at Plymouth.

During the course of its long life it was struck by lightning fourteen times and the innumerable avalanches and storms of four centuries shook it. It survived them all. In the end, however, an army of beetles attacked the tree and leveled it to the ground. The insects ate their way through the bark and gradually destroyed the inner strength of the tree by their tiny but incessant attacks. A forest giant, which age had not withered, nor lightning blasted, nor storms subdued, fell at last before beetles so small that a man could crush them between his forefinger and his thumb.

There is a parallel in this story which should serve as a warning to us. Most of us can survive times of crisis. We summon the strength of faith or resolve for most any battle that we face head on. Whether it is in our professional or personal lives, we often overcome great obstacles. It is the small things like jealousy, anger, resentment, pettiness and negativity that eat us from the inside, which often bring about our downfall. Unlike a giant tree, we can identify and fight those moral or ethical “beetles.” We must, however, be constantly on guard.

Lesson & Connection: One may think, I don’t have to do the ABCD’s every time I ride.  I just did it a few days ago, but remember the Beatles! It’s the little things that can take you down.