The video above (click to open) highlights the past two volunteer medical missions in Gaza that have provided cardiac and orthopedic care to children. The first medical team from Italy treated 8 children with congenital heart diseases and the second medical team from Chili focused on treating children with orthopedic related defects. Both teams have successfully completed their surgical missions.

Your support has helped launch the REACH Gaza project and will allow the project to move forward over the coming months through additional volunteer medical missions entering into Gaza and providing vital medical attention to children that require care.

To continue supporting this wonderful cause please:

- Share: Help us raise awareness by sharing our posts on Facebook, Twitter, Email..etc
- Donate
- Volunteer: Contribute directly on the ground or through various activities. Email us on info@cycling4gaza.com to sign up
- Follow: @Cycling4Gaza on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
- Hashtag: #Cycling4Gaza, #thePCRF, #REACHGaza, #C4G2013 on any information you feel is relevant

A word from Steve Sosebee, President and CEO of the PCRF, on the impact of Cycling4Gaza and our supporters on the current medical missions in Gaza as part of the REACH Gaza project.

We appreciate all your efforts and grateful for your continued support.

Thanks to ALL your efforts; the REACH Gaza project has officially been launched! Cycling4Gaza has helped pioneer the REACH Gaza project with the PCRF; supporting the provision of health care to children living in Gaza.

The first surgical team arrived in Gaza on the 6th of October 2013 from Italy to initiate a 10 day mission to treat children with congenital heart diseases.

This mission highlights the first step towards achieving a more sustainable healthcare system in Gaza. Let us continue to support the wonderful actions of the volunteer medial teams and the PCRF for creating an efficient model for providing vital medical care for children that need it.

The medical team is comprised of nine-members team of doctors and nurses from Italy, supported by a great local anesthesiologist from Palestine, is led by Dr. Stefano Luisi, the team includes Palestinian anesthesiologist Dr. Hassan Ismail, intensivist/anesthesiologist Dr. Paolo del Sarto, intesivists Dr. Piergiorgio Setti, Dr. Simonetta Maghelli and Dr. Alessandra Napoleone, perfusionist Marco Tiddia, nurse Giuseppina Dolfi and surgeon Dr. Corrado Tramontin. Once the team set up in the European Gaza Hospital, pre-surgery screening procedures were conducted on 8 children.

The team has successfully operated on three children, to date, on the 7th and 8th of October 2013; Mohammed Ahmed – 11 days old from Rafah, who suffered from the coarctation of aorta and two children suffering from ventricular septal defects (VSD) including 10 month old Ahmed Abu Daqqa from Khan Younis. The children are all recovering well.

The project was only made possible thanks to the wonderful efforts of the volunteer doctors, nurses and surgical team members on the ground in Gaza, the PCRF for creating the platform to do this and Cycling4Gaza supporters and cyclists for their unwavering contribution to our cause.

How you can help:

• Share: Help us raise awareness by sharing our posts on Facebook, Twitter, Email..etc
• Donate
• Volunteer: Contribute directly on the ground or through various activities. Email us on info@cycling4gaza.com to sign up
• Follow: @Cycling4Gaza on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
• Hashtag: #Cycling4Gaza, #thePCRF, #REACHGaza, #C4G2013 on any information you feel is relevant

39 individuals successfully cycled over 400 km from Hamburg to Berlin in 3 days in support of the REACH Gaza project. The stories are plenty with many to be shared soon. We have currently raised over 88% of our fundraising target; reaching $204,305.3. This was only possible thanks to the efforts of our cyclists, sponsors and supporters, we appreciate everything you have done for C4G, the PCRF and the REACH Gaza project.

Joining with Friends and Family before cycling into Berlin

The REACH Gaza project is under way; hundreds of children have been identified around Gaza and are now in the process of being linked to the required form of treatment. The database software is also being developed providing accurate and up to date patient data for doctors, donors and health care facilities. This system will create a simple and effective method for identifying children that require medical care in Gaza and providing the treatment required. It will also enable individuals to monitor the improvements in individual patients and in the overall provision of health care in Gaza. The REACH Gaza projects aims to ensure that every child has access to one of his or hers basic rights; which in turn will help them lead happy and healthy lives. It is your support that is making this happen.

WOO WOO! We arrived!

Stayed tuned over the coming weeks for updates on the REACH Gaza project in addition to various and hopefully hilarious cyclist testimonials.

Continue to support us:

• Share: Help us raise awareness by sharing our posts on Facebook, Twitter, Email..etc
• Donate
• Volunteer: Contribute directly on the ground or through various activities. Email us on info@cycling4gaza.com to sign up
• Follow: @Cycling4Gaza on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
• Hashtag: #Cycling4Gaza, #thePCRF, #REACHGaza, #C4G2013 on any information you feel is relevant

Cycling4Gaza will be screening Oscar nominated documentary “5 Broken Cameras” on September 7th at 7 PM at The Fridge in Dubai.

“5 Broken Cameras” is a Palestinian-Israeli-French production and is directed by Palestinian Emad Burnat and Israeli Guy Davidi.

The film is a chronological collection of the series of events that surrounded the weekly protest at the village of Bil’in against the expansion of Israeli settlements and the Israeli separation barrier. The narration is done by Burnat and thefilm focuses on the personal stories key people in the village lived within their roles to protect the ownership and access to their farming lands.

The film’s title refers to the number of cameras owned by Burnat and were broken by Israeli forces during the five years over which the film was shot. Each camera tells a different story according to the co-director.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XID_UuxiGxM

Nominee: 2012 Academy Award Best Documentary Feature
Winner: 2012 World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary
Winner: 2011 idfa Special Jury Award and Audience Award

The film will be preceded with a short presentation about Cycling4Gaza and the PCRF’s REACHGaza

Location:

The Fridge
Map: http://tinyurl.com/oa7rhb8
Please use this map (as opposed to directions from Facebook) as it is more accurate.

Food:

Moti Roti will be catering their famous Roti Wraps and skinny
Lassis (smoothies) at the venue.

Admission is free. Donations are welcome.
This is a public event. Feel free to bring friends and family.

An Article Published in This Week in Palestine by one of our own, Eyas Al-Homouz:

27 days remain before 45 cyclists from across the globe come together in Germany to cycle for a cause, the #REACHGaza project.

These 45 inspired and passionate individuals will be pushing through 373 km of cycling over 3 days from Hamburg to Berlin, and one of the things that will keep them moving forward is the impact each of these people will have on supporting the children in Gaza.

The REACH Gaza project in partnership with #thePCRF and aims to treat every child in Gaza in need of vital medical care transforming the provision of healthcare for children in Gaza, and each km cycled will help get us one step closer.

Support the wonderful efforts of these cyclists by:

- Share: Help us raise awareness by sharing our posts on Facebook, Twitter, Email..etc
- Donate
- Volunteer: Contribute directly on the ground or through various activities. Email us on info@cycling4gaza.com to sign up
- Follow: @Cycling4Gaza on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
- Hashtag: #Cycling4Gaza, #thePCRF, #REACHGaza, #C4G2013 on any information you feel is relevant

Thank you Sho Cho Facilities Management Services (SCFMS) for their generous support as Cycling4Gaza’s Hero sponsor for the 2013 Cycling Challenge. SCFMS’s contribution has not only helped increase global awareness about the current situation in Gaza but has also given children living in Gaza access to their basic human rights. SCFMS’s sponsorship has positively impacted the lives of children in Gaza in need of vital medical care through the REACH Gaza project in partnership with the PCRF.

A brief note on SCFMS and their visionaries:

Sho Cho Facilities Management Services (SCFMS) two Principles, Raëd Dabbous and Hiba Kosta, both have long-term success with some of Dubai’s most prominent restaurants, Sho Cho Japanese restaurant and lounge, Flooka Mediterranean seafood and Loca  authentic Mexican cuisine, all operating at Dubai Marine Beach Resort and Spa. Chez Sushi by Sho Cho is a unique, casual and fun Japanese sushi concept based in the heart of Dubai. At Chez Sushi you are in charge! You pick the ingredients, garnish, dressing and watch our team roll! We offer online ordering and a unique “let’s roll” build your own sushi feature.SCFM

Principle Raëd Dabbous is a successful businessman and restaurateur in Dubai, and the long-term success of his establishment Sho Cho is no accident. In addition to his vast experience as a restaurant owner and operator, Raëd has gained a reputation as one of Dubai’s premier fishermen. It is well known to customers at Sho Cho that they may be, at any time, eating fresh fish that was actually caught that morning by the owner.

SCFM Principle and Executive Chef, Hiba Kosta has made a name for herself in some of London’s best known and most successful restaurant kitchens. Both Raed and Hiba, due to their international backgrounds, Raed in finance and the food industry, and Hiba as a Chef in Europe, have made their concepts winning formulas.The SCFM team has the experience and the personnel to create a successful restaurant with long-term viability. The unique combination of talent, along with a true passion for food and service, makes our team the best qualified for a restaurant project of this caliber.

For more details on SCFMS check out Facebook and Website pages for:

Sho Cho’s, Loca, Flooka and Chez Sushi

Click here for more details on REACH Gaza.

And if you would like to support our cause:

- Share: Help us raise awareness by sharing our posts on Facebook, Twitter, Email..etc
- Donate
- Volunteer: Contribute directly on the ground or through various activities. Email us on info@cycling4gaza.com to sign up
- Follow: @Cycling4Gaza on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
- Hashtag: #Cycling4Gaza, #thePCRF, #REACHGaza, #C4G2013 on any information you feel is relevant

#‎Cycling4Gaza‬ in the wake of the 2009 war on Gaza rose from just 4 passionate individuals into a group of 27. In 2013 #Cycling4Gaza will now cycle in Germany with our largest group yet, totaling 45 cyclists; ‪#‎C4G2013‬. We will be cycling in support of the ‪#‎REACHGaza‬ project, headed up by ‪#‎thePCRF‬.

Thank you everyone for your unwavering support and we will continue to do the best we can to continue our efforts to help improve education and healthcare in Gaza.

Even though our 2013 cycling challenge registration is officially closed; there are still a number of ways you can help support the #REACHGaza project in partnership with #thePCRF:

- Donate
- Volunteer (email us on info@cycling4gaza.com)
- Follow: @Cycling4Gaza on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
- Share: Help us spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, Email..etc! It will all help!
- Hashtag: #Cycling4Gaza, #thePCRF, #REACHGaza, #C4G2013, #C4G

Sharing a story from #thePCRF:

The New Zealand Mission Surgery Team preformed pediatric cardiac surgery at the European Hospital in Gaza. After two days, the children are all recovering well from their life saving surgeries.

Soundos Qudah, a 6 month year old boy from Khan Younis was one of the children cared for, and is now recovering wonderfully.

As part of the #REACHGaza project; a number of surgical medical mission teams will be working in various hospitals around Gaza. Each mission is specialized and will cover one of the following areas:

1. pediatric cardiology and pediatric cardiac surgery
2. pediatric urology and pediatric surgery
3. pediatric orthopedic and spine surgery
4. plastic and reconstructive surgery
5. maxillofacial surgery
6. pediatric neurosurgery
7. ophthalmology

Each of these missions will help provide a future for the children living in Gaza.

Support #Cycling4Gaza and #thePCRF in this wonderful initiative by sharing our stories on Facebook and twitter (@cycling4gaza) and help increase awareness about the current healthcare in Gaza. You can also contribute directly to the project by clicking here.

3 days left until the end of registration for the 2013 cycling challenge.

Sign up now and be part of a unique and exciting initiative with the PCRF; the REACH Gaza project.

Don’t forget to follow us on instagram (Cycling4Gaza) and # us on all your C4G related pictures.