Celebs like Jackie Mason, Neil Sedaka, Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child and 12-year-old piano prodigy Ethan Bortnick showed up at the American Friends of Magen David Adom’s first-ever Los Angeles gala Sunday night. The event raised a record-breaking $3.8 million — the most ever raised at a single AFMDA event.
The funds will go toward building a new blood center in Israel. The current one, built in the 1980s, doesn’t accommodate the country’s growing population, and is in danger of being affected by rocket attacks and earthquakes. The updated version will include new and secure underground storage facilities.
“We still have a lot of work to do to reach our goal, but MDA and the people of Israel will soon have the kind of modern blood center they deserve,” said AFMDA’s CEO, Arnold Gerson.
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