Blood Drive December 27—

Congregation Calls On Community To Give Life

The public is invited to join former Newtown resident Mark Rebb at Congregation Adath Israel on Monday, December 27, where there will be a special holiday blood drive from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm in his honor. Mr Rebb recently survived a tragic knife assault, where he and his wife Leah were attacked, and Mark Rebb sustained critical injuries.

Mr Rebb is recovering while volunteering with the Red Cross, an organization he went to work for following the 9/11 attacks. For several years he headed up a team of staff members who helped recruit organizations and companies in western Connecticut to conduct or host Red Cross blood drives.

While he eventually went on to another job, the events of October 25 — the date of the attack on Mr and Mrs Rebb — brought the needs of the many, like himself, who face the emergency need for blood back into tight focus.

“My motto is, life isn’t about what happens to us, it’s how we handle it,” Mr Rebb told The Bee during a recent interview. “Whether it’s the person reading The Bee, their neighbor, a relative, their fellow congregant, a co-worker, or the person at the market, they will all need help at some point in their lives. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.”

Mr Rebb said that if that need involves a life-sustaining blood transfusion, donating blood is the only way to help those persons in need.

Mr Rebb said he understands first-timers’ unwillingness to donate, due to the physical pain they perceive they may experience, or the idea of answering uncomfortable questions while qualifying to donate blood. But once they commit to the experience, donors have told Mr Rebb that their fears of the unknown were unfounded.

By the same token, Mr Rebb hopes to see many frequent donors showing up at Congregation Adath Israel on December 27.

“I’ve met a variety of people who celebrate benchmark lifetime milestone donations,” he said. “But let’s not be mistaken — we hold in high regard the people who for the first time have donated as well.

“The important thing to remember is how important every single donation is,” Mr Rebb said, adding that without those milestone or first-time donors, “I would not be here today.”

The Red Cross Blood Services Division requires donors be at least age 18, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in generally good health. Appointments are available by calling 800-448-3543. Donors are also welcomed without appointment. The synagogue is at 115 Huntingtown Road.