Three hundred runners and walkers gathered in Battery Park on October 30 for the inaugural Gift of Life Marrow Registry’s Steps for Life 5K Run & Walk held in New York City.
Dedication to Avi KareshThe event began with a dedication to the memory of Avi Karesh, who passed away in August. Avi was both a bone marrow donor and transplant recipient, as well as an advocate for Gift of Life, where he served on the board of directors. Avi’s mother, Cheryl Karesh, addressed the attendees, saying that from the moment he became a donor, Gift of Life was a major priority in Avi’s life. “He would love this event and would have been here participating,” she said. “Every step, walk or run and every dollar donated helps save a life.” His family plans to carry forward his passion for Gift of Life’s mission.
Cheryl Karesh offered a moving dedication of the event to the memory of her son Avi Karesh, a Gift of Life advocate and board member.
Grand MarshalsGift of Life Founder and CEO Jay Feinberg and Chairman of the Board Bill Begal took the stage to name the event’s Grand Marshals, Steven and Wendy Siegel. Steven is the Chairman of Global Brokerage at CBRE, and his wife Wendy, who was honored at Gift of Life’s Annual Gala in June 2016, is a transplant recipient and cancer survivor. They are dedicated to finding matches for every patient in need of a transplant, and are tireless in their efforts on behalf of the organization’s mission.
Gift of Life Founder and CEO Jay Feinberg (L) with Grand Marshals Wendy and Steven Siegel.
Donor/Recipient Introduction Robin Fineman, the mother of transplant recipient Ezra Fineman, had the honor of introducing bone marrow donor, David Allen to his transplant recipient, Melissa “Missy” Scheinberg, a 24-year-old woman from Brooklyn. After a worldwide search for Missy’s donor, 30-year-old David was found only a few miles away in Astoria. He originally joined Gift of Life on his Birthright trip to Israel. His cheek swab kit was sponsored by Help for Ezra, the group first founded by Ezra Fineman’s family and friends when he was only three years old as they searched for his donor.
David donated peripheral blood stem cells to save Missy's life after she was diagnosed with lymphoma.
This emotional meeting was followed by the fun of the Superhero Sprint, where Gift of Life’s youngest supporters donned their orange capes and dashed to the finish line – everyone got a medal!
Run & WalkThe fall weather and mild temperatures offered perfect conditions along the waterfront during the certified timed 5K run, with walkers following the runners along the course. The Statue of Liberty in the harbor and the New York skyline across the way made for incredible views. One notable family, the Delgados, captured top medals in each of their age groups!
The teams and individuals participating raised $80,000, more than doubling the event goal! Their fundraising efforts will enable Gift of Life to process cheek swab kits and enroll new donors into the registry to find more matches for patients in need of bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants. Our top fundraisers this year were:
Event SponsorsThe generous support of our sponsors made the Steps for Life event in New York possible, including CBRE, the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Advancit Capital, Chemist Shop, the Stella Liniado Rainbow Foundation, and WindowRama.
Thank you to everyone who helped us make this event such a tremendous success!
The entire opening ceremony, including the dedication to Avi Karesh, the introduction of MIssy and David, and more is available in this video.
A photo gallery from the entire event can be viewed by clicking here.