Erez Calderon is celebrating his 12th birthday Thursday help in captivity by Hamas in Gaza. Erez was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, along with his father Ofer, a professional cyclist, and his 16-year-old sister Sahar. His grandmother, Carmela, and his cousin, Noya, were murdered by Hamas terrorists.
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Erez's great love, just like his father, is cycling and with the help of the Free Our Kids association, which assists families whose children have been kidnapped, the Israel Bicycle Association was roped in and this evening, as a tribute for the boy's birthday, about 30 riders from the national team rode in honor of Erez at the Velodrome Hall in Tel Aviv.
They rode 12 laps along the circular track to mark his birthday, in the presence of his mother, Hadas, and other members of his family. At the same time, a virtual bicycle race of families took place all over the country with the message "Congratulations Erez, waiting to ride with you."
"We received a request from Free Our Kids that Erez Calderon was kidnapped to Gaza with his father and sister and today he is celebrating his 12th birthday," said Dafna Lang, chairman of the bicycle association. "Riders for Israel's national team as well as teenagers arrived at the Veldrome and on the Olympic cycling track held a demonstration of support for the Calderon family and a call for the immediate release of Erez, his family members and all the other hostages. We included Erez and his father Ofer as honorary members of the association and will give the family professional bicycles that will wait for Erez."