For most husbands, a 30th anniversary celebration would involve a romantic getaway. For Kevan Green, it entailed a gruelling four weeks on a bike for a 2,900 kilometre fundraiser from Essex to the Laniado Hospital in Netanya.

With his wife, Sandra, among his back-up team, Mr Green's journey took him across the Alps on a route covered by the Tour de France and along the Italian coast in blistering temperatures. After flying from Rome to Tel Aviv, he started the Israeli leg of the journey from Metula, the most northerly town. Arriving at Laniado after a final 175 kilometres in the saddle, he was greeted by family, friends and local and hospital dignitaries. His efforts were covered by three national television channels.

The £17,000 raised will be split between Laniado and Myeloma UK. He also earned £750 for Vision Aid Overseas, a charity supported by Specsavers, of which he is a director.

He chose the hospital as a beneficiary after being inspired by the story of a person he met on the beach in Netanya who had been treated there. Some months later, a Laniado representative came to his Chigwell home "to talk about the charity and show me the last dinner campaign video. It featured the person I'd seen on the beach. That, together with Laniado's founding story, bowled me over."

The former Chigwell and Hainault Synagogue chairman selected Myeloma UK as "one of my closest friends has a sister with it".

It had been "the trip of a lifetime. Ten years ago, I cycled with my friend and our respective sons from San Francisco to LA.

"But this was much further and with bigger climbs. I wanted to cycle in heat but I wasn't expecting the heatwave in Europe.

"When my bike computer one day registered a temperature of 47 degrees centigrade I did start to get concerned. But all was well and I didn't have a single puncture."

Although Mr Green had set a higher fundraising target, the level of publicity Laniado received had been ample compensation.