Rechnitz Bought the Olympic Tag

By COLlive reporter

An unidentified bidder has purchased the Olympic name tag of judoka bronze medalist Yarden Gerbi for a wooping $52,100 last week.

87 bids were placed by 22 bidders for the Israeli athlete’s name patch from the recent games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with an autographed dedication, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Gerbi, who won a bronze medal in the women’s 63-kg judo competition at the Rio Olympics said she will donate the proceeds of the auction to charity, the paper said.

Gerbi wrote on the Ebay auction website that proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center to be used to purchase medical equipment.

Now, sources tell COLlive.com that the bidder was none other than Shlomo Rechnitz, the Los Angeles based Jewish businessman and philanthropist known for his sporadic and even outlandish acts of kindness.

Most recently, Rechnitz gained international attention for buying meals for 400 U.S. soldiers during a stop-over in an airport in Shannon, Ireland, and for buying 18,000 Powerball tickets for all of his employees.

A source close to Rechnitz comfirmed to COLlive.com that he was the bidder.

“An Olympic Bronze Medalist gave her name tag and a gold-hearted philanthropist did his part, giving $52,100 of his hard-earned money,” the person said. “Philanthropy and charity can come in all forms – and it’s all the more powerful when we each give what we’re able to.”

In a statement to COLlive.com, Rechnitz said: “Everyone must learn from Yarden how to use their skills to help people in need.”

Rechnitz said he will be putting the name patch back on Ebay to sell again. Every penny of the proceeds will be going to the very same hospital in Tel Aviv.