Founded in 1985,
Bikur Cholim of Baltimore provides support services to residents or visitors of Baltimore, MD, who find themselves in need of a wide range of medical and non-medical assistance.
More than 400 volunteers comprise Bikur Cholim of Baltimore’s staff providing a range of services from providing Kosher food for patients and their families, transportation to hospitals and medical appointments, housing in the community for out-of-town patients and families, free-loan medical equipment, medical referrals, accommodations near hospitals for Shabbos & Yom Tov, and much more.
Bikur Cholim’s mission is to give respite and support for patients and their families by channeling the chesed of the Baltimore Jewish community. Their determination lies in the belief that a patient’s number one focus should be on healing. The rest is in their hands.
Bikur Cholim of Baltimore’s Biker Cholim is an annual event where participants raise money for the organization as well as stir awareness of the need for the services they provide. With four different routes to choose from, all levels of bikers from novice to experienced are encouraged to participate. For those who find themselves in need of some training, Biker Cholim provides a Coach who prepares the bikers for the big ride with helpful tips and guidance for how to master the terrain, no matter which level you choose!
194 cyclists raised over $110,000 online in 2015 – a "smashing success" according the Biker Cholim coordinator, Yaakov Berkowitz.
Reaching the finish line on such an achievement was made possible by using Wizathon’s "peer to peer" social fundraising platform. Wizathon provided easy navigation for participants to register to bike and for donors to sponsor an individual biker or team. Each individual biker and each team was provided with a personal fundraising page that displayed a list of donors and amounts, along with a graphical thermometer for each participant showing cumulative donations towards their respective goal. Also available on the site were details about the event, FAQ’s about the organization, fundraising and training tips for bikers, as well as event photos and videos for anyone to see!
According to Berkowitz: “The system provided functionality that made it very easy to manage participants – features such as switching riders that decided to bump up to a different level ride; riders being able to change teams, and transferring sponsorships from teams to riders. It also provided reporting options that were an instrumental part of being able to efficiently manage and control the event.”
“In summary, the ease of use for both administrators and the participants is what makes Wizathon such a great tool,” commented Berkowitz.
Involve Your Community In Your Online Fundraising
Wizathon partners with Nonprofit organizations to take their online fundraising events to a whole new level by utilizing social fundraising tools.
