NISSIM, JERUSALEM POLICE HELP ADI SPOTLIGHT DISABILITY INCLUSION AT 2019 JERUSALEM MARATHON

600 ADI SUPPORTERS, INCLUDING HIGH SCHOOLERS FROM ACROSS ISRAEL, PROMOTE INCLUSION AND QUALITY CARE FOR ISRAEL’S DISABILITY COMMUNITY

(JERUSALEM, Israel – March 15, 2019) For ADI (www.ADI.org), Israel’s network of care for children with severe complex disabilities, the Jerusalem Marathon is always a celebration of disability inclusion and acceptance.

But the fleet of international volunteers, runners and VIPs who came out to support ADI on Friday, March 15, for the 9th annual Jerusalem Marathon, including Jewish rapping sensation Nissim Black, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, and officers from the Jerusalem Police Department, took the celebration to the next level.

Drawn into the festive and inclusive atmosphere, Nissim marveled at the passionate support for Israel’s disability community and the determination of the 50 ADI residents, who pushed their limits to complete the 800-meter ‘Community Track.’

“I volunteer with children with disabilities all the time, but I have never seen anything like this. So much dedication and love, like one big family,” said Black, as he walked with the ADI residents. “I am so happy that I was able to be a part of this, to experience the warmth of ADI.”

For the sixth straight year, “Jerusalem’s Finest” used high-tech walkers and words of encouragement to lead the ADI residents down the stretch, helping them reach new milestones far beyond the boundaries of their initial prognoses. In fact, residents who had been strapped to their police partners via special walking harnesses in previous years were finally able to pound the pavement on their own thanks to months of training, the guidance of ADI’s professional staff, and specially-made walkers that convert even the slightest movements into full strides via a complex pully system.

“I have worked with ADI on various community events over the last eight years, but the Jerusalem Marathon is by far my favorite. I love seeing my training partner and the rest of the ADI residents achieve such an incredible level of personal growth in front of a screaming crowd. I always say that he’s like my little brother, but I must admit that I look up to him on days like this,” said Tal Rubin, the Jerusalem Police Department’s Community Policing Supervisor. “Like any other ADI volunteer, I can’t tell you who gets more out of this mentoring opportunity, the volunteers or the residents. But I can tell you that it’s opportunities like that made me become a police officer in the first place, to make a lasting impact on Israeli society.”

In addition to the 600 supporters cheering on the ADI residents from the sidelines, more than 150 runners of all ages ran the 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon races as members of ‘ADI Ascend,’ the organization’s inclusive running team, to spread the message of inclusion and highlight the importance of quality care for Israel’s disability community. The team was comprised of young men and women on gap year programs, officers from the Jerusalem Police Department, attorneys from the Goldfarb Seligman law firm, and high school students from across the country participating in ADI’s ‘Tikkun Olam’ program, an experiential education initiative that was established to bring about a change in societal attitude towards individuals with disabilities through youth leadership and community engagement.

“No matter how many times we participate in the Jerusalem Marathon, I am always so deeply moved by the compassion and generosity shown by the individuals who come out to greet our residents and make them feel included. We work so hard to change the way people view those with disabilities, so it is incredibly gratifying to see our ADI residents being embraced by city officials, celebrities, and supporters from around the world,” said Shlomit Grayevsky, Director of ADI Jerusalem. “But the greatest reward is seeing high school youth not only participating in events like these but getting excited about advancing disability care in Israel and thinking up ways that they can make a real difference for individuals with disabilities. Little by little, we are laying the groundworks for a very bright future here in Israel.”