Or Sasson won a bronze medal in judo at last summer’s Rio Olympics. The 25-year-old national hero then donated his Olympic jacket to Shalva, the Israel Association for the Care and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.

At Shalva’s gala dinner on December 18, the coveted jacket was auctioned for $100,000 to benefit the range of free services offered by the award-winning association for hundreds of individuals from infancy to adulthood.

“A minute before I handed over the jacket, when it was still in my hand, I thought about whether I would miss having it,” relayed Sasson in a meeting with Shalva’s administration. “But then I thought about all the good it would do and realized that it has reached its ultimate purpose.”

The big-hearted judoka didn’t stop there. He also pledged to spearhead a therapeutic judo class for the approximately 250 children in Shalva’s afternoon program.

Shalva’s newly constructed national center in Jerusalem is considered to be the largest facility of its kind on earth. During a visit to the campus, Sasson left Shalva’s children with a message: “With perseverance you can accomplish anything.”

Another athlete, American baseball star Albert Pujols, visited Shalva with his wife this past November. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to visit Shalva and to see what is done in Israel to assist youngsters with disabilities, and was impressed with their unique facilities, which don’t exist anywhere else,” Pujols said.

(via Israel21c)

[Photo: Israel21c ]