[PHOTOS BELOW] There is no gift more precious than the gift of life. Sunday night, the Lakewood community assembled en masse to celebrate a decade of giving life and the heroes who have selflessly bequeathed life to others: the altruistic kidney donors of Renewal.

The gala affair drew an impressive crowd to the showroom at Pine Belt Chevrolet, where they partook in a gourmet dinner served by Tessler Catering, a stirring live performance by the talented Yedidim Choir, and inspirational words delivered by several compelling speakers.

Kidney donor and Renewal advocate AJ Gindi served as emcee, introducing each presenter in turn. The program opened with remarks by Frank J. Vozos, MD, president and CEO of Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, who shared his medical perspective of kidney donation as well as relevant information regarding his hospital.

Dr. Vozos was followed by the night’s keynote speaker, Rabbi Aaron Kotler, the CEO of Beth Medrash Govoha, who addressed the audience with a direct question: What can one say to a person who donated a kidney? Indicating himself and the night’s hosts – David Sickel and his son Rob, who own one of the nation’s largest auto dealerships – he declared that even those who run massive corporations are humbled by the presence of the donors. Rabbi Kotler continued to marvel at the Renewal donors, who account for one out of five altruistic kidney donations, closing with the sentiment that while words may fail us, we can honor the donors by emulating them: performing acts of kindness, improving ourselves, helping others.

Next, kidney recipient and the evening’s gracious sponsor and host Mr. David Sickel approached the podium to relate his personal Renewal story. When he was on a quest for a new kidney, he contacted Rabbi Kotler, an old acquaintance – the Sickel family has been in Lakewood for longer than the Kotler family, and the families have enjoyed a relationship for decades – who directed him to Renewal. Mr. Sickel was matched to a donor through Renewal, but the donor wasn’t cleared for transplant until days immediately after the transplant, the would-be donor ultimately gave his kidney to another Lakewood resident, a mother in need of a kidney transplant.

After expressing his words of gratitude, Mr. Sickel was joined by his son and the pair accepted an award from Renewal in appreciation of their continued support and the hosting of the night’s event.

The program concluded with a presentation by guest speaker Rabbi Yisroel Pinchos Bodner, introduced by Renewal Director of Outreach Rabbi Josh Sturm, who shared the tale of a close member of his family whose life was saved by a Renewal donor. He then educated the crowd on the topic of refuah in halacha, particularly the halachos of medication and Shabbos, applicable to our daily lives.

Guests were privileged to meet the heroic kidney donors in attendance – approximately 30 of them as well as numerous recipients – and personally hear their inspirational stories. Renewal is deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from the Lakewood community, their generous hosts, and the donors themselves, without whom countless lives would be lost.

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