Legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather announced he will make a $100,000 donation to Israel's United Hatzalah organization for the purchase of bulletproof vests. United Hatzalah CEO Eli Beer announced Mayweather's donation at an event the organization held for Sukkot.
Mayweather, who continues to stand by Israel and was one of the first to express support for the country after October 7, has made several donations to the IDF and other organizations.
This isn't Mayweather's first contribution to the organization. Seven months ago, he visited Israel, where he toured the new national Magen David Adom blood bank in central Israel and the United Hatzalah emergency center.
A touching moment came during that visit when the boxer blew out the candles on a giant birthday cake prepared by the organization's volunteers in honor of the 36th birthday of Dolev Yehoud, a volunteer who went out to save lives on October 7 and was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists. "I know what it means to be a father, I’m a huge fan of my dear father and I pray every day for peace to come and for the return of Dolev to his dear children," Mayweather said.
The boxer's bond with Israel began around two years ago. He made a surprise visit in November 2022, during which he visited the Western Wall, strolled through the Machane Yehuda market, asked fans for shawarma recommendations and attended a Tel Aviv basketball derby as a guest of his friend Xavier Munford. The photo he shared in his support post when the war broke out was from his visit to the Western Wall.
In recognition of his support for Israel, the 46-year-old athlete was honored at a special fundraising event held in Florida in December 2023, where he was given the Champion of Israel award. The event was organized by American Friends of Magen David Adom and was attended by hundreds of guests, including Jewish celebrities like actress Emmanuelle Chriqui and TikTok star Montana Tucker.
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