Some 400 people woke up on Sunday morning knowing they were going to save lives.
The second annual Race to Save Lives 5K of the United Hatzalah organization, which was held this Sunday, raised half a million dollars to support the work of the volunteer Emergency Medical Services group.
"The chessed [virtue, goodness] demonstrated by the volunteers of United Hatzalah is inspiring and heartwarming.” said Jessica Myers of New York. "I think about the people I am running to support — and how dedicated they are to saving lives... that is what propels me to run each mile."
The Race to Save Lives 5K is an initiative dedicated to supporting the United Hatzalah EMS organization, raising money to provide medical equipment and vehicles to support the work of over 6,000 volunteers.
Runners from the United States, Canada, England, South Africa, Australia, Israel, and other countries gathered today to run wherever they could to support the life-saving work of UH volunteers. Thank you #RaceDay #RaceToSaveLives5K pic.twitter.com/cqhYQ3XC6H
— United Hatzalah (@UnitedHatzalah) August 15, 2021
United Hatzalah is a completely independent, voluntary organization that responds to emergency calls — free of charge.
It is one of the largest and fastest response organizations in Israel. Every day, their teams reach approximately 1,800 people who need help, usually arriving long before the hospital ambulances. Their incredibly short arrival times are due to a vast network of volunteers, advanced GPS technology, and the fact that they arrive on motorcycles.
The organization is comprised of volunteers from all across Israel, which allows them to reach calls in three minutes or less. All their volunteers undergo courses to provide EMT healthcare, and once they join, they're always available. Day or night, holiday or business meeting, the closest volunteers to the emergency grab their equipment and go.
This unique group has representatives from across the Israeli demographic — Christians, Arab, Druze, Bedouins, religious and secular Jews — and provides assistance to any and every person who needs their help, regardless of age, gender, race, address or health insurance.
The Race to Save Lives 5K took place for the second time this year, with runners joining from wherever they were, in the interest of avoiding large crowds due to COVID. The volunteers ran solo, in pairs or in groups, with the largest team raising $56,000 in memory of Ethan and Jonny Lax.
"I am thankful for organizations such as this one for going above and beyond to respond to every human’s basic desire for survival," wrote Rachel Bess Davidson from Los Angeles. "If you’ve ever been in an ambulance and had to pay the exorbitant costs you know firsthand the value of having free emergency relief and first responders who arrive in under three minutes."