An article about the January 2011 tragic shootings in Arizona, when six people lost their lives to a lone gunman, prompted Daniel to think about his mitzvah project. Thirteen other people were wounded and survived that day with the help of first responders utilizing Improved First-Aid Kits (IFAKs). 

Items found IFAKs are used to provide aid to trauma victims until emergency medical services arrive on the scene. 

Daniel, son of Michal and Ronan Lev of Creve Coeur, wondered if his local police had IFAKs available to them.  After meeting with Captain George Hodak, Commander of Police Operations of the Creve Coeur Police Department, Daniel and his father discovered that the Creve Coeur police cars were, in fact, missing some substantial first-aid equipment.  They decided to create a fund and raise money to purchase IFAKs for them. 

 “The IFAK Fund raised over $2,000, including equipment donations, cash/check donations, Daniel’s donation from his bar mitzvah money, and a donation of tourniquets from an Israeli company, Supergum Industries, Ltd.,” said Daniel’s father.

A student at the Solomon Schechter Day School, Daniel presented Capt. Hodak with the supplies at his bar mitzvah rehearsal ceremony. These supplies included 45 self-aid tourniquets, one for each police officer to have in the event he or she is injured in an incident, as well as nasal airways, Combat Application Tourniquets and emergency blankets. 

“We are very grateful to Daniel for his generosity and for thinking about the safety of our community and our police officers,” said Hodak. “His ability to think about the welfare of others is an important step to becoming a young man.”

If you would like to make a donation to Daniel’s project, please contact him at [email protected] or visit the front page of the B’nai Amoona website at www.bnaiamoona.com.