Above: Mark Sciff. Below:JBN members at a monthly breakfast meeting plan for their Feb. 7 fundraiser.

 

 

 

 

Business network plans Feb. 7 benefit for Ukraine orphans

By JEWISH REVIEW

article created on: 2009-01-15T00:00:00

The Jewish Business Network in Vancouver, Wash., will hold its third annual fundraising event entitled, A Day of Hope at the Hilton Hotel in Vancouver on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Proceeds from this event will benefit local families in need as well as the children of the “Good Family” Orphanage in Odessa, Ukraine.

The theme for this year’s event is Comedy Night and will feature comedian and comedy writer Mark Schiff. He has been the opening act for Jerry Seinfeld on many occasions.

Seinfeld said of Schiff, “Mark Schiff is one of the funniest, the brightest, the best stage comics I have ever seen.”

Schiff has headlined in all the major casinos and clubs across the country and has appeared many times on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman. He has had both HBO and Showtime specials, and has been the featured act at the Montreal Comedy Festival. Mark has written for and guest-starred on Mad About You. He also appeared on Empty Nest and worked as a writer on The Roseanne Show.

Also featured is a raffle in which guests can purchase tickets ranging from $10 to $25, depending on the value of the prize offered. Prizes include a $1,000 Westfield Mall shopping spree, a Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit, an Ipod Touch or Iphone, a 42” Panasonic Plasma HDTV, Dell Vostro A860 Laptop and much more. A Split-the-Pot raffle will also be held. Guests can enter to win half of the total pot collected with a guaranteed minimum of $500.

Every year, the JBN does something special for the children of the Good Family Orphanage in Odessa, Ukraine. In the past, funds were raised to supplement the cost of extra-curricular activities such as kung-fu and dance lessons. Last year, the JBN raised money to help make the Jewish holidays extra-special for the children.

This year, the proceeds of the JBN’s fund-raising efforts will help with medical procedures that are too expensive for the orphanage to manage. One child, Tova, 13, was born with a cleft lip that has caused her teeth and gums to grow badly. Tova requires oral and cosmetic surgery to prevent recurring infection and pain, which will intensify as she grows. On Feb. 7, guests at the JBN fundraiser will have the opportunity to meet Tova and her “siblings” at the “Good Family” orphanage via a live Webcast.

This once-a-year event is put on by the Jewish business community in Vancouver to benefit Jewish families in the area and abroad.

The JBN helps meet the educational and societal demands of a growing Jewish population and initiates programs that are shaping a vibrant and united Jewish community. Monthly meetings provide opportunities to network.

Reservations are $50 per person. This includes a catered gourmet kosher dinner, dessert and entertainment.

Reservations can be made online at www.theJBN.org or by calling 360-450-3256. For more information, contact the JBN at info@theJBN.org. Participants do not need to be present to win raffle prizes. Raffle tickets and contributions can be made online.