HARC, Inc. is pleased to announce that its 62nd Annual Meeting will be conducted in honor of Jean & John Weiss of Canton for their many years of dedication and service to HARC and people with intellectual disability. HARC’s 62nd Annual Meeting, will take place at 5:30 pm on Thursday, June 20, 2013, at Tumble Brook Country Club in Bloomfield.
As part of their long history of service to HARC, Mr. Weiss has served on HARC’s Board of Directors for many years since 1993 and served as Board Chair from 1995 to 1999. Mr. Weiss has also, through the years, spent much time chairing the Public Relations and Development Committee. John and Jean were among the initial families advocating to create HARC’s first community residence for children in Bloomfield. Their son Matt, was among of the first group of children to live in that home. The opening of this home showed the State of Connecticut what an important initiative this residence was in the support of families facing the challenge of intellectual disability.
The Weisses have been active and generous advocates, often personally sponsoring, many of HARC’s fundraising events and special initiatives such as the Annual Auctions, the HARC Walkathons and this year’s HARC Walk & Run, and the ArtSparks Holiday and Note Cards. Mr. Weiss chaired the HARC Annual Auctions numerous times, starting in 1994 as chair of Gold Rush; in 1995 co-chairing with Edith Murphy Barry, An Evening at the Moulin Rouge; in 2001 chairing Dancing Through the Decades, HARC’s 50th Anniversary Auction; and in 2002 chairing HARC’s 14th auction, Hot! Hot! Hot! Jean and John also established a family named fund within HARC’s endowment fund several years ago.
The Weisses have also been frequent advocates for HARC as an organization, giving testimony about the importance of HARC’s services to families challenged by intellectual disability and through the years helping to guide the substance and direction of HARC’s community position and branding. Jean and John have always “been there” when help was needed, whether to chair an event or committee, to contribute a quote for a publication, to teach their children to be advocates for people with intellectual disability, to acquaint friends and neighbors with HARC as an organization, and to do whatever was needed at that moment, to further HARC’s mission and well-being.
According to Dr. Stephen Becker, President/CEO of HARC, “John and Jean lead their lives very close to their values. Their vision is clear, forward-thinking, and thoughtful. The manner in which they have embraced their family challenges serves a model for all families who have children with disabilities.”
John says, “What Jean and I do for HARC is truly a labor of love. HARC has made an amazing difference for our family, and for so many other families. I shudder to thank what our lives would be like without HARC there! Jean and I are both so thrilled to receive this honor, and it is especially meaningful that it is coming just as Dr. Becker retires. Steve has played such an important role in our lives and also in the life of HARC.”
Click here to read a wonderful Canton Life newspaper profile celebrating John and Jean Weiss.
The Weisses have four children: Derek, JP, Matt and Julia. They too support HARC in a myriad of ways.