AUGUST 31 • 2023 | 19

Beth Brandvain.
The WAM Bicycle Tour 
as a whole saw 320 people 
ride this year. Eighty of 
those riders were on Team 
Alex.
“Alex inspired so many 
people. There are people 
who knew Alex who are 
on the ride and people 
who didn’t know her but 
just want to be a part of 
this,” said Susie Graham, 
Alex’s mother. “I person-
ally cannot believe it’s 
still going on for 25 years. 
There’s just so many won-
derful people on the team. 
It’s unbelievable.”
This year was also the 
25th anniversary of Alex’s 
Wish, another fundrais-
ing effort started in Alex 
Graham’s memory, for 
the American Cancer 
Society’s Relay for Life of 
South Oakland County. 
The relay took place at 
the Detroit Zoo, with 
Alex’s Wish raising nearly 
$50,000 this year. 
Susie, who says Alex 
would be “totally” 
impressed about the 
25-year landmark, is 
proud of the millions of 
dollars raised and hun-
dreds of wishes granted 
for Make-A-Wish chil-
dren over the years in her 
daughter’s memory. 
“I say this to the team 
over and over again, if 
they were to stop tomor-
row, dayenu, it would be 
enough,” Graham said. 
“It’s unbelievable, the 
attention paid to her. 
And the respect paid to 
her, and our family is just 
amazing. Everybody’s 
keeping her memory 
alive.” 

Jewish Family 
Service Receives 
Basic Needs Grant

Jewish Family Service of 
Metro Detroit received 
$70,000 from United Way for 
Southeastern Michigan to 
support the agency’s efforts in 
helping community members 
meet their basic needs. 
The funds will go toward 
staffing JFS’s Behavioral Health 
and Family Support Services 
departments, which provide 
counseling and case manage-
ment services, respectively.
The Centers for Disease 
Control has shown that the 
pandemic increased mental 
health concerns, with 1 in 4 
adults having a diagnosable 
mental illness. JFS can help 
address these rising concerns 
through individual and group 
therapy. Its Family Support 
Services team works to help 
struggling households meet 
their basic needs and increase 
self-sufficiency. When commu-
nity resources are insufficient, 
JFS provides food vouchers 
and emergency financial assis-
tance to cover the cost of hous-
ing, utilities, transportation, 
clothing and other essential 
household items.
“
At a time when our com-
munity is still recovering from 
the financial impact of the 
pandemic and rising inflation 
costs, we are so appreciative 
of United Way for their many 
years of support,” says Dini 
Peterson, Chief Program 
Officer, Mental Health and 
Safety Net Services. “The work 
we’re doing helps prevent 
homelessness, keeps food on 
the table and meets the mental 
health needs of so many com-
munity members. We could 
not do this critical work with-
out United Way’s dedication to 
supporting our most vulnera-
ble community members.” 

Hear All About It!

New episode out now!
Co-hosts Sam Dubin and Beverly Liss 
are honored to welcome The Honorable 
Bernard Friedman to the pod. 

Available wherever you get your 
podcasts or by scanning this QR code.

FedRadioDetroit is Federation’s fascinating 
podcast featuring big personalities from Jewish 
Detroit’s diverse cast of characters. Presented in 
collaboration with the Detroit Jewish News. 

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