An 11-year-old New York City boy is planning a one-mile Hudson River swim as a Bat Mitzvah gift to a friend.
Aaron Perl tells 1010 WINS radio that life is about doing things for other people. He’ll jump in the water from the 79th Street Boat Basin in Manhattan on Sunday afternoon.
He’s swimming for friend Ally Witt because he’s been inspired by her uncle, who is mentally disabled.
For her Bat Mitzvah project, Ally raised $6,000 for the Association for the Help of Retarded Citizens. Aaron is assisting her in the ongoing project.
Aaron knows about pain. He was born with a shortened femur and needed surgery to lengthen his leg. He began competing in triathlons when he was 8 years old. He’s completed 13.