Solidarity in Motion: The 2025 Ride for Palestine

“It was a beautiful showing of solidarity for the people of Gaza.” That’s how Abbey Springer, captain of Team SURJ Bay Area, described the 2025 Ride for Palestine held Sunday, July 20. “It was so incredible to see hundreds of people riding for Palestine and in doing so, raise over $450,000 for MECA!”

The Ride for Palestine is the annual fundraiser for the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA), to support its programs for children and their families in Palestine and the Middle East. Based in Berkeley, California, MECA has, since 1988, sent more than $42 million in aid to children in Palestine, Iraq, and Lebanon.

Some members of Team SURJ gather before the Ride for a photo taken by a Jewish Voice for Peace team member.

In recent weeks, the situation in Gaza has grown especially dire and fundraising efforts to support MECA’s work there have amped up. Team SURJ, one of 50 teams in this year’s Ride for Palestine, raised some $21,000, exceeding the original goal to raise $13,000. SURJ is among the top 5 fundraising teams.

Janie Pinterits found out about the Ride in the SURJ weekly newsletter. “I was delighted to be able to be part of this team,” she said. “And I have great friends and family who were eager to find a way to donate to help the people in Gaza, the children there most of all. My community just said thank you so much for giving us an avenue to offer support.”

There were 550 riders this year—100 more than last year—and Team SURJ had 20 of them. Some were SURJ chapter members, like Lo Wesely who was riding for the second year in a row - “I love that we are raising lots of money for MECA. It feels really powerful and when I asked my community for money, there were people who I didn’t expect would be willing to support this cause, but they did. And that felt really energizing.”

Some on the SURJ team were friends of SURJ members and there were even friends of friends – like Sky Powers (pictured left), the team’s #1 fundraiser, who signed up for the SURJ team with her husband. “I’m half Palestinian so this cause means so much to me,” she explained. “I messaged all of my co-workers, my past co-workers, my family, and close friends and the results were worth it. And I’m going to keep going because [fundraising] runs through the end of August.” 

Team SURJ was also intergenerational – the youngest riders were ages 6 and 11, the oldest, in their 70s. Eleven-year-old Rumi R. said, “It was very fun biking 11 miles and seeing how many other people support the Palestinian people like I do.” Her message for the children of Palestine? “I would probably say something funny to make them laugh because it’s not really a fun time to be there.”

Gather for Gaza, the Post-Ride Communal Gathering

Following the Ride for Palestine, riders and supporters gathered for an outdoor luncheon of Palestinian food and a program that showcased Palestinian music and dance along with several speakers. A chilly, cloudy Bay Area morning bike ride gave way to an afternoon filled with food, laughter, joy, art, and celebration. Hundreds came together, at a time when there is so much hopelessness and rage, to show up for Palestine and support a beloved organization that has been working against all odds for almost four decades.

Photo of the post-ride gathering of riders and supporters by Brooke Anderson @movementphotographer.

Journalist Nora Barrows-Friedman, Associate Editor of The Electronic Intifada, read a message from Wafaa El-Derawi, MECA’s coordinator of Gaza Projects, to the gathering. “We are still living through the horrors of genocide,” reported El-Derawi. “Misery, pain, poverty, hunger, thirst, disease, humiliation—the ugliest of human suffering—are now our daily reality.”

These words underscored the current tragedy. “More than 80% of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed. Dozens of children have died from starvation, thousands have been killed under relentless bombardment, and many more remain trapped beneath the rubble. Death here is collective…Everything is cloaked in darkness—our only light now is you, your support, and your solidarity. That is our only hope to stop the genocide and preserve the dignity of those who are still alive.”

El-Derawi’s message also highlighted MECA’s current efforts in Gaza. “We are still here on the ground, with you. Despite our exhaustion and pain, we have no choice but to go on. This is the path we chose together, answering the call of humanity, justice, conscience, and responsibility. Today, with what little strength we have left, we continue fighting to preserve the dignity of our people. We distribute water to thousands of families and provide hot meals, even if they are smaller with less quality. We supply diapers and milk for babies. We are setting up clinics to treat the growing cases of malnutrition and to provide basic healthcare. 

“We, as well, sing with the children—for Gaza, for justice—as part of our psychosocial support projects. You are helping us weave the last threads of hope for the people here. 

“From the heart, thank you. None of this would be possible without your solidarity. We are deeply grateful for your determination to raise your voice—our voice—and for your unwavering stand with humanity.”

Photo of Rep. Rashida Tlaib by by Brooke Anderson @movementphotographer.

The importance of human solidarity was also shared by a surprise speaker who took to the stage at the post-Ride event. “Being with all of you gives me hope!” Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) (pictured left) told the cheering crowd. “More and more Americans, more of our neighbors of all different backgrounds, are standing up and finally saying together, ‘Free, Free Palestine.’ (It’s) everywhere I go, and I know it’s not just because I’m Palestinian and the only member of Congress who is…it is because people understand the shared humanity, that people, no matter their faith or ethnicity, no matter the fact that they were born Palestinian, they deserve to live too.”

The Congresswoman praised the important work of MECA as well as all the people who fundraised and turned out in support of the Ride for Palestine. “You all being here…saying ‘we don’t believe that our country should be investing in genocide,’ you’re here investing in MECA and supporting MECA.”

“Sometimes I suffer from this feeling of guilt while watching images of children starving to death, that I can’t be joyful.” Rep. Tlaib told the crowd. “But we can be joyful in this resistance. It is resistance to be joyful and saying unapologetically, (we), the anti-war, anti-genocide, pro-the-work-that-MECA-is-doing, pro-the movement-around-liberating-Palestine, all of us can come with joy, saying to the Palestinian people, we’re here, we love you, we want you to live, we want you to know that not everyone agrees with those who are in power…We have to continue to fight and cause good trouble!”

Fundraising for the Middle East Children’s Alliance Ride for Palestine Fundraiser continues until August 31 so please donate here on Team SURJ’s page.