by Mendy Rimler, lubavitch.com

Three rabbinical students are in the midst of biking coast-to-coast to benefit Friendship Circle International.

The cyclists pushed off on the 4,000 mile trek on July 6th from Central Park in NYC, accompanied by their support vehicle. They plan on arriving in Los Angeles on August 22nd. Along the way they will visit 20 Friendship Circle chapters where they will raise awareness and funds for Friendship Circle and awareness of special-needs children.

Supporters may sponsor a mile, a day or a state by clicking here.

“We’ll be doing an average of 110 miles a day over seven weeks, and at that rate, you need about 9,000 calories per day instead of the usual 2,400,” explains twenty one year-old Zalmi Perlman, an avid runner who plans on running a marathon next year. “So I’ve been doing a lot of studying, and I’m working on specific diet so we’ll have enough energy.”

Pedaling across the country can be daunting for even a fit person. Shmuel Rothstein, 22, admits that he’s not sure “how my body will handle the stress.”

“But we’re very excited about the ride, and we’re working together to make sure we’ll all be in good shape.”

A blog post from their journey can be found here.