High
profile personalities from the world of sports were on hand for the 10th annual
Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors Foundation Sports Celebrity Breakfast on
Sunday, April 6 at the Gelber Conference Centre. It was once again my great privilege to sit on the organizing committee and shared the emcee duties with Charles-André Marchand for this sold out event with 600 people on hand. Here is a video of the introduction of our head table guests.
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| Jacques Demers receives his award from (left to right) Federal Minister Denis Lebel, Sentaor Judith Seidman, Senator Leo Housakos and Mark Routtenberg. |
The event featured a special tribute to the Honourable
Jacques Demers, a Canadian senator and former Stanley Cup winning coach for the
Montreal Canadiens. Legendary Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who recently announced his retirement, was honoured
as the Sports Personality of the Year. The Gazette's Herb Zurkowsky delivered an outstanding introduction.
Here is a nice video done by The Gazette
Here is a nice video done by The Gazette
More than $190,000 was raised from the event to
support "Seniors in Crisis," a program that delivers much needed
assistance to seniors. Since the
inception of the Breakfast, more than $1
million has been raised.
New Alouettes head coach Tom Higgins, players Josh Bourke, Scott Flory, John
Bowman and Luc
Brodeur-Jourdain were on hand. So were Canadian Olympic diving legend Alexandre Despatie (now of City's Breakfast TV), RBC athlete and Canadian Olympic Snowboarder Caroline Calve, former
Quebec Nordiques enforcer Wally Weir, former Habs Guy Lafleur, Patrice Brisebois and Mathieu Darche, now a senior executive with Delmar International.
See Despatie talking about the event with highlights here on BT Montreal.
See Despatie talking about the event with highlights here on BT Montreal.
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| Red Fisher and I present Dick Irvin with the Larry Fredericks Media Award. |
Dick Irvin was presented with the Larry Fredericks Media Award (named after my late dad Lawrence Frederick Cohen by Red Fisher, the 2013 recipient. Members of the media on hand included André Corbeil of CTV, Bob Babinski and Wilder Weir from City Montreal and Conor McKenna and Matthew Ross (the chairman of Expos Nation) from TSN 690. See this excellent CTV report.
New this year was a live feed and special
interviews from the VIP Room, with McKenna and Ross. We also had the team from Montreal Hockey Talk broadcasting live. This amazing internet show, hosted by the great Ted Bird, has been posted here on their website so give it to a listen. Superb interviews with Guy Lafleur, Tom Higgings, Scott Flory, Anthony Calvillo, Jacques Demers and Wally Weir. Hats off to producer Kosta Papoulias and his team.
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| Fan Daniel Alon meets Guy Lafleur. |
Cummings
Jewish Centre for Seniors Foundation Past President Michael Wagen and businessman
Bram Naimer served as co-chairs of the event. Morden “Cookie” Lazarus was honourary chair.
The Cummings Centre is one of the largest senior centres in
North America and its doors are open to all seniors, regardless of religion. One in five Montreal seniors lives below the poverty line. This
is a shocking statistic that is expected to increase over the next few years.
In 2013 the Cummings Centre saw a 35 percent increase in dollars
spent for crisis needs. This includes the cost of medication, rent, Hydro,
clothing, dentures and eyeglasses. This past winter was the coldest winter
in 45 years. Without the help of the Cummings Centre how many of our seniors
would have been without a roof over their heads, heat & hot water or a warm
winter coat? When our seniors are in crisis the Cummings Centre is there
for them and the dollars raised at this event will help us continue to be there
for them.
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| Diane Dupuis Kallos of the Cummings Centre meets the Alouettes cheerleader. |
Close to 500 Meals on Wheels are delivered to needy seniors per
week. In many cases this is the only full meal these people will have all week.
Over 3,000 clients are served annually through our Social
Services department. This includes a team that is dedicated, and trained, in
helping Holocaust survivors and their unique needs. Every person that comes
through our doors is treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.
When people bought raffle tickets or participated in the silent auction at the breakfast we told them to consider the following:
- $20 will buy two Meals on Wheels;
- $40 will buy two hours of Homecare Services. This can include help with bathing, dressing, shopping, meal preparation, routine household tasks, respite from caring for an ill relative or just simply keeping someone company;
- $100 will help buy a senior a warm coat for the winter;
- $150 will help pay a senior’s hydro bill so their electricity won’t be turned off;
- $500 will help pay a senior’s rent so they are not evicted;
- A minimum of $1,500 is needed to replace a senior’s dentures, $700 for a hearing aid, $250 for a new pair of eyeglasses, and the list goes on.
- For more information log on to www.cummingscentre.org.
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