By Molly Cornfield, ICB Reporter 
Timed to coincide with Valentine's Day, Bruins for Israel (BFI) is planning an event to benefit an Israeli heart health group and others.
BFI, the pro-Israel group at the University of California, Los Angeles, will put on a multi-activity fundraiser on Sunday, February 12 including carnival games, a silent auction and a chance to bid on a date with some prominent members of the UCLA and Bruins for Israel community, with all proceeds benefiting the Israeli organization Save a Child’s Heart and the Nwoya Youth Center in Uganda.
Organizers say the scale of this year’s event, Achy Breaky Heart, outdoes any winter quarter event in the history of BFI. The group teamed up with GlobeMed, a UCLA campus group dedicated to raising funds for and awareness about sexual health education and prevention with their partner, the Nwoya Youth Center in Northern Uganda.
According to UCLA senior and BFI President Tomer Schwartz, the decision to partner with GlobeMed was based on the group’s commitment to global health.
"We felt as though Save a Child's Heart fit very well with GlobeMed's focus, which made for a perfect match for a co-programmed event," Schwartz said.
Working together has allowed the two groups to combine their materials, connections and ideas, bolstering the overall quality of Achy Breaky Heart.
“Co-programming with BFI has given us a chance to pool our resources and creativity to benefit two great organizations,” UCLA senior and GlobeMed Director of Communications Catherine Ni said.
The groups hope that collaborating will further their respective global causes.
“The heart of GlobeMed is partnerships,” UCLA senior and GlobeMed president Meghan Kennedy said. “We believe that by working together in solidarity no goal is beyond our reach.”
By co-programming such an elaborate, widely publicized event with GlobeMed, BFI hopes to draw a wide variety of attendees.
"Holding the event in [the student union building], right in the middle of campus, is great for having all types of people stop by and see a different side to Israel," Schwartz said.
Ni and the GlobeMed crew expect the Achy Breaky Heart event will both educate the campus community and benefit people around the globe.
“Achy Breaky Heart will showcase how student groups can make a world of difference by raising awareness for health issues in developing countries,” Ni said.
“I can’t wait!”
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