By BETH LONGWARE DUFF
Fairfield County Catholic,
October 6, 2007
Thirty
million viewers rise and shine with him every weekday morning on The Today
Show on NBC, and many times that number catch him when he hosts the annual
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Christmas at Rockefeller Center, and Rose Bowl
Parade.
Later
this month, America's favorite weatherman and tentime Emmy-Award winner, Al
Roker, will put his trademark charm and enthusiasm to work for Catholic Charities
of Danbury at its annual Celebrity Breakfast.
The
event is scheduled for Wednesday, October 17, at the Amber Room Colonnade,
1 Stacey Rd, Danbury, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Proceeds will benefit
Catholic Charities' Family Loan Program and Behavioral Health Clinic.
Accredited
members of the media are invited to attend.
"Tables
are selling like hot cakes," says Anita Ragona, who's co-chairing the breakfast
with Mike Rizzo and Wayne Curtis. "The enthusiasm has been tremendous, and everybody's
looking forward to seeing Al."
More
Than Weather
Roker,
a native of Queens, NY, earned a B.A. in communications from the State University
of New York at Oswego. While an undergraduate, he landed his first broadcasting
job as a weekend weatherman at a TV station in Syracuse. After graduation, he
built his resume in Washington, DC, and Cleveland, OH, before signing on in 1983
as the weekend weathercaster at the flagship NBC affiliate, Channel 4 in New York.
Roker's
been Today's weather and feature reporter since 1996. The program has been
the #1 morning show in America for the last 11 years. In addition to his network
duties, Roker runs his own thriving multimedia company that produces programming
for network, cable, home video, and public television. Two of his most successful
projects to date are the critically-acclaimed PBS Savage Skies special
on severe weather, and a highly-rated travel series called Going Places. He has
also partnered with cable TV's Food Network, Lifetime, Court TV, and Fine Living.
Established
Author
Roker
is also an established author with three books under his belt: Don't Make Me
Stop This Car: Adventures in Fatherhood, Al Roker's Big Bad Book of Barbecue,
and Al Roker's Hassle-Free Holiday Cookbook. A family man, he lives in
Manhattan with his wife, ABC News Correspondent Deborah Roberts, and has two daughters
and a son.
Catholic
Charities has served people of all faiths in the greater Danbury area
since 1939. It provides a variety of services, including counseling, adoption,
senior citizen outreach, immigration services, parent education, and other programs.
(For
tickets for the Celebrity Breakfast with Al Roker, call Mike Rizzo: 270-4500,
or Wayne Curtis: 731-3064.)
-30-
October
is "Respect Life Month"
Halloween
Safety from the Safe Environments Office: