Three rabbinical students will bike coast-to-coast this summer to benefit Friendship Circle International.

The cyclists will push off on the 4,000 mile distance on July 6 from Central Park in NYC, accompanied by their support vehicle. Along the way they will visit 20 Friendship Circle chapters where they will raise awareness and funds for Friendship Circle.

“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.”

The Bike 4 Friendship team will travel along the east coast toward Texas, and then make their way toward California, where they will visit with the Friendship Circle of Los Angeles. Supporters may sponsor a mile, a day or a state at Bike4Friendship.com or by clicking here.

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.”