Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv players and coaching staff made their traditional Chanukah visit to children at Schneider Hospital in Petah Tikvah and Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital in Tel Aviv. The players handed out gifts and posed for photos with the children.
By Amy Samin
Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv players and coaching staff made their traditional Chanukah visit to children at Schneider Hospital in Petah Tikvah and Dana-Dwek Children’s Hospital (part of the Sourasky Medical Center) in Tel Aviv. The children, who were quite excited to meet the players, received bags full of surprises from the club, including books and team scarves donated by Africa Israel Residences. Team mascot Donny the Dog came along to cheer up the kids with his antics; he was joined by the mascot of Domino’s Pizza.
Team Manager Nikola Vuj?i? said of the visit: “We’ve done something great for the kids here who need help; everything else is dwarfed in comparison. They give us a realistic perspective on life and on our problems, and I’m happy that we were able to make them happy.”
Head Coach David Blatt added: “We try to give back to the community and to do what we can. There’s no comparison between what we’re going through and what these children here go through every day.” When asked about the team’s loss the night before, Blatt responded, “I’m not going to talk about the game. I talk enough about basketball every day. Today we’ve come to meet the special children here.”
Forward Guy Pnini summed things up: “I got up this morning and came to Schneider feeling down and with no energy after last night’s loss to Jerusalem. But it’s really fun to come here every year and to continue the tradition, and to see life’s true heroes. It just fills your heart. I wish for all of them to be able to leave here as quickly as possible.”
