Mark Rubakh

Welcome to my marathon sponsor page!

This April, I will be running as part of Team Shalva in the Jerusalem Marathon!

The reason is Shalva—and Israel.

Israel holds a special place in my heart. After visiting on Birthright (Taglit), I fell in love with the country—its people, culture, and resilience. In these incredibly difficult times, I feel a deep responsibility to stand with Israel and support the communities that need it most. Running in Jerusalem and raising funds for Shalva gives me the opportunity to do just that.

Shalva has been providing transformative care to individuals with disabilities and their family members in the warmest and most loving environment for over 30 years. From infancy through adulthood, this amazing organization offers leading-edge therapies, inclusive educational frameworks, social and recreational activities, employment training, independent living, and respite programs—regardless of religion, ethnic background, or financial capability!

At the sudden onset of the war in Israel, Shalva stepped up to support as many people as they could as fast as they could. They opened their doors as a National Crisis Response Center, welcoming over 200 families from the South, providing both physical safety and emotional support that these individuals so desperately need. Shalva is also housing 100 teenage girls and staff from a youth-at-risk program whose kibbutz campus was completely destroyed—miraculously, they were not there during the attack due to the holiday. Additionally, they are providing day care programming for evacuated children. Shalva's emergency campaign, along with their consistent care of 1,000 children with disabilities, is truly inspiring.

Simply put, Shalva is an incredible place—open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The staff is so loving and kind, going above and beyond to make the center a home away from home.

I’m doing my part to support this amazing organization and the Shalva National Crisis Response Center by running—and I need your help.

I'll take care of the training, the achy feet, and the finish line if you'll help me by donating to this worthy cause. All contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law, and anything you can give would help me reach my goal. Together, we’ll be supporting this truly special place and standing with Israel when it matters most. If your company has a matching gift program, please let me know so I can connect you with Shalva.

Thank you in advance for your help and generosity!