Mayor Bloomberg to Join Area Leaders and Influencers at Gala Honoring Israel’s Emergency Responders
Magen David Adom — Israel’s Red Cross affiliate — to be the focus of December 12 event highlighting technological and medical advancements in emergency response
NEW YORK — World-renowned experts in disaster response and emergency medical innovation from Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency medical response organization and official Red Cross affiliate, will be in New York on Monday to share their experiences as part of an effort to raise funds for the organization. The annual Magen David Adom New York Gala, on Monday, December 12, at 6 p.m., at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers, will feature special guest Michael Bloomberg and highlight the cutting-edge technology MDA’s paramedics use every day to save lives in Israel and around the world.
Additional special guests expected on the evening’s Red Carpet will include:
Charlotte Kirk, of "Oceans 8"
JiaJia Fey, Instagram influencer at @VaJiaJia, Director of Digital at the Jewish Museum, formerly of the Guggenheim
Osric Chau, actor, The CW’S Supernatural
The Maccabeats, an a cappella phenomenon, will perform as part of the evening’s program.
Highlights of the event which guests will be able to explore will include:
On-site Medicycle -- For well over a decade, MDA’s use of precision-crafted Medicycles built to navigate difficult terrain and weave through congested streets and highways, have allowed EMT’s to respond faster. The MDA fleet has 200 Medicycles, each at a cost of $36,000, that include state-of-the-art life-saving medical equipment and technology, emergency lighting and siren, and protective gear
On-site MDA command and control center, known as the “Mamlan,” which will be connected to the live, real-time system in Israel so guests can see how MDA coordinates the dispatching and response of the organization’s 1,000+ ambulances, Medicycles, and 13,500+ professional and volunteer EMTs and paramedics
The New York Gala, will honor:
The 2016 Visionary Award:
Mark D. Lebow of New York, chairman of the board of directors of American Friends of Magen David Adom, recent chairman of New York City Transit Authority, former chair of the New York City Civil Service Commission, and founding partner of the law firm Lebow & Sokolow, LLP; and his wife,
Patricia Harris, of New York, current CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies and former first deputy mayor of New York City.
The Young Professional Leadership Award: Dr. Jason Nehmad of West Long Branch, N.J., a former MDA volunteer, who is now an internal medicine doctor at Meridian Health in Oakhurst and Ocean, and Director of Rehabilitation Services at Monmouth Care Center in Long Branch
MDA depends on the generosity of individuals around the world — particularly in the United States — to provide lifesaving EMS and blood services, ambulances, and disaster relief for Israel’s population of 8.5 million people. A global leader in emergency medical response, MDA responds to international disasters, and, in recent years, conducted lifesaving missions to Nepal, Haiti, Indonesia, Japan, and Turkey. MDA also shares its innovations, experiences, and knowledge with EMS agencies around the world, including in the United States, where it recently worked with EMS and other public-safety agencies in Westchester County, N.Y.
Last month, MDA celebrated the groundbreaking for the Marcus National Blood Services Center — the world’s first fully operational underground blood center facility, to protect Israel’s blood supply which serves the entire country of Israel. MDA also launched an innovative smartphone app with a host of potentially lifesaving features.
Visiting MDA innovators and other guests are available for interview in person. The New York Gala will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, December 12, at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers. Members of the media wishing to schedule interviews or cover the event should contact Samantha Kupferman at skupferman@westendstrategy.com or 202-215-9260. Phone interviews can also be scheduled.
Tickets and information about the New York gala are available at https://afmda.org/ny-gala/.
About MAGEN DAVID ADOM
Magen David Adom (MDA) is Israel’s national emergency medical response organization and a member of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, providing skilled disaster-relief, ambulance, and blood services, to Israel’s 8.5 million people. MDA is the only organization mandated by the Israeli government to serve in this role, but its operations are not funded by the government. Instead, MDA relies on the funding from donors around the world. American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) is the largest supporter of MDA worldwide. For more information, please visit www.afmda.org. Follow on Twitter at @AFMDA, and find us on Facebook.