The Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo is launching a special fundraising campaign to honor the memory of WNY legend Irv Weinstein and help the Variety Club of Buffalo and Western New York.
Variety Club, the Children’s Charity of Buffalo & WNY, has been serving the needs of WNY’s sick, disabled, and disadvantaged children for more 80 years.
Irv Weinstein, a news director and anchorman at WKBW-TV of 7 Eyewitness News, who recently lost his battle with ALS and passed away, December 27 at the age of 87, was a longtime friend of children with special needs, and an annual host of the Variety Club telethon where he famously will be remembered for singing “I’m a Little Teapot” every year to get the phones ringing.
Weinstein was also a loyal friend to the Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo as well as the Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY. To honor his memory, the JCC is raising donations to be presented at The Variety Kids Telethon, now in its 56th year. One of the nation’s longest-running, locally-produced telethons – the Variety Club funds dozens of local children’s nonprofits, including the JCC’s Au-Some Swimmers program, a learn-to-swim program offered year round for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.
“Irv was a passionate supporter of both the JCC and the Variety Club. We are pleased to provide our communities with the opportunity to honor his memory with a gift to the Variety Club during the annual telethon,” says Richard Zakalik, Executive Director of the JCC. “Children at the JCC with physical challenges and those who are on the autism spectrum will be well served with the unique facilities and JCC programs generously supported by the Variety Club.”
“I’m continually impressed with how important our Au-Some Swimmers program is to individuals and their families,” says Eric Poniatowski, JCC Aquatics Director, who created the program in 2013. “People travel long distances, from as far as Ellicottville as well as the Southdowns and Northtowns weekly, because the importance of teaching their children to swim, as well as having the support of our aquatics staff for the whole family, is so highly valued.”
Donations will also be collected from audiences during the theatrical run of Rose, the 2nd production of the season at the Jewish Repertory Theatre (JRT), which is located at the JCC on 2640 North Forest Road. “Irv and Elaine were financial supporters of the Jewish Rep from the very beginning,” says JRT Artistic Director Saul Elkin. “Irv frequently sent me two kinds of emails: play suggestions for the Jewish rep and wonderful old Jewish jokes that still make me laugh.”
All proceeds from donations and raffle tickets will be presented to the Variety Club in memory of Irv Weinstein and his tremendous contribution to Western New York at the 56th Variety Kids Telethon which takes place March 4, 2018, 7 am to 6 pm, broadcasted live from the Seneca Niagara Events Center in Niagara Falls, NY.
Raffle tickets may be purchased at either JCC (787 Delaware Ave., Buffalo and 2640 North Forest Road, Amherst) or online at www.jccbuffalo.com
For more information, contact Eric Poniatowski, Director of Aquatics, Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo, 716-886-3172, ext. 411 or eponiatowski@jccbuffalo.org