Blind, Autistic America’s Got Talent Winner Wows a Big Crowd in a $2 Million Houston Night
Jewish Family Service of Houston Gets a Boost For Its Life Saving Programs
BY Shelby Hodge // 12.09.21Sunni Markowitz, Brian Becker, Aileen Weycer, Jamie Wolf, Gary Becker at Jewish Family Service's annual celebration. (Photo by Johnny Than)
What: Jewish Family Service of Houston‘s JFS LIVE! annual celebration
Where: The Hilton Americas-Houston
PC Moment: Despite being blind and having autism, Kodi Lee — Season 14 winner of America’s Got Talent — delivered a show-stopping performance that left the throng of more than 900 in awe. Lee performed numbers from his show at the Luxor Las Vegas.
Equally moving on this evening were testimonials, introduced by JFS CEO Linda L. Burger, from JFS clients who shared their personal stories of how they had been aided by the nonprofit. Professional staff members shared their stories of assisting those in need be it people with disabilities seeking employment or aid provided by JFS Houston professionals to those in need in Surfside, Florida, following the tragic condo collapse.
The spectacular evening, this year themed “A Sparkling Stars Evening,” brought in more than $2 million for JFS Houston life-changing social programs. In a remarkable display of generosity nearly $500,000 of that was earned when fewer than 100 individuals raised their paddles in support during the appeal. Those monies will provide extra support for the Behavioral and Mental Health Services of JFS Houston which has seen a 340 percent increase in counseling requests since the beginning of the pandemic.
JFS programs and services touch the lives of more than 20,000 Houstonians each year, support provided by more than 70 professionals and a growing network of more than 300 volunteers.
Elizabeth Anthony
Longtime supporters and volunteers Sandi and Steve Wolf were honored with JFS’s prestigious Joan Alexander Chesed Award while both Aileen Weycer and Jamie Wolf were recognized with the Shirley and Allen Becker Leadership Award. H-E-B received the JFS Houston Community Investment Award.
PC seen: Honorary chairs Joan and Stanford Alexander and Elaine Helfman; auction chair Jan Zuber Miller; auctioneer Stephen Lewis; Mayor Sylvester Turner; State Senator John Whitmire; Lisa Helfman and Lee Haverman; Cathy and Giorgio Borlenghi; Helene and Dror Zadok; Jan and Arnie Miller; Carl Josehart and Sam Jacobson; Norelle and Brian Becker; Amy and Gary Becker; and Sunni and Gary Markowitz.
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