Gift of Life’s fifth annual Celebrity Golf Tournament was held on Monday, February 24, 2025, at the beautiful Breakers West Country Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. Mindy Schneider, a member of Gift of Life’s Board of Directors, served as the event chair.
Celebrities in attendance included former NFL legends Woody Bennett, Bob Brudzinski, Troy Drayton, Kerry Glenn, Sean Hill, Andy Jones, James McKnight, Tim McKyer, Laurent Robinson, Vinny Sutherland, and Jed Weaver, along with NHL alums Bob Nystrom, Eric Nystrom and current Florida Panthers Radio Color Analyst Bill Lindsay.
(L-R) Longtime Gift of Life supporter Susan Blumenfeld, Board Member and Event Chair Mindy Schneider, and Founder and CEO Jay Feinberg.
Luncheon was served before the round, and other activities featured a silent auction, a chance drawing, and in-game contests including closest-to-the-pin, longest drive, and hole-in-one.
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The highlight of this fundraising event was the emotional introduction of a heroic stem cell donor to her recipient. Amanda Stern, the daughter of transplant recipient Mitchell Stern who met his Gift of Life donor at the 2023 Annual Golf Tournament, was given the honor of introducing the pair. She first welcomed leukemia survivor Paul Robinson, a resident of Parkland, Fla., to join her on stage.
Paul was excited and emotional as he prepared to meet his donor – the only person who matched him in the entire worldwide registry of more than 42 million people, and a perfect match at that! The two had not previously met, as donors and recipients must remain anonymous for the first year under federal regulations.
He was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in August 2022, during a CAT scan to prepare for surgery to fix a deviated septum. His doctor recommended a stem cell transplant as his best treatment option.
“I understood my chances for survival without a stem cell transplant were poor,” said Paul. “Although this scared me a great deal, my faith in people was restored when I realized that a stranger would provide the life-saving stem cells that could potentially cure this disease.”
Amanda then invited Paul’s donor, Sharon Lessne, to come forward and meet him. The two hugged as event attendees applauded; they clearly felt a profound connection.
“This was not a decision I had to make,” said Sharon. “I had already set out to do this when I swabbed at my synagogue. But I didn’t think I would be a match and put it in the back of my mind.”
“We had one match out of everyone,” said Paul. “It’s hard to describe how you feel, it really is. The gratitude and relief at having a donor can’t really be put into words. I had a lot of ups and downs, but I’m here today and that’s thanks to Sharon’s generosity and in large measure to the Gift of Life.”
“It’s pretty incredible to see Paul – a person who had been so sick at one time, looking so great,” said Sharon. “I helped him and that’s an incredible feeling.”
Sharon Lessne, 60, is a wife, mother, and grandmother, and works as a payroll specialist. She and her husband Eric are residents of West Hartford, Conn. She is a graduate of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute where she was a member of Delta Phi Epsilon sorority. Sharon likes to go camping, and enjoys reading, crocheting and spending time with her grandson.
Paul Robinson, 58, and his wife Jennifer are residents of Parkland, Fla., and the parents of two adult children. He is an attorney and a graduate of the Boston University School of Law. He enjoys going on warm weather vacations with his family, playing chess and motorcycle riding.
Photo Gallery
You can view all the photos from the event by clicking here!