Former ABC7 traffic anchor Roz Varon says her daughter Sara Janz was one of a kind.
"My daughter Sara Janz was an incredibly creative person, " she smiled.
"Of course, being her mom I can't be objective."
Janz was only 29 when she died unexpectedly earlier this year.
"She graduated from Columbia College and her career was just getting started. She was a photographer, a videographer, an editor, a photographer. She could draw, she could animate, she could design, she could compose music. There wasn't anything she couldn't do." said Varon.
"Sara was raised in a family that was in the television business. But she was raised on both sides of the camera lens. Her mom on the air and her dad on the technical side. It just made sense it rubbed off on her," said Ed Janz, Sara's father.
The "Stars For Sara" benefit concert will raise money for the scholarship that was set up in her name to benefit future students in media.
"The decision to start the scholarship fund happened about a week after she passed. I'm on the board of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and we give out scholarships high school and college every year so it was a natural to ask a board to designate one in her name. Once we got it started and told people, I was overwhelmed by the amount of people who contributed." said Varon.
The concert will be held at the Des Plaines Theater next Tuesday.
Ron Onesti donated the theater for this event. We put together all of this talent. I reached out to everyone. We have a true variety show with entertainers, musicians, comedians, there's television and radio people. There are a true variety of performers and there will be some surprises too," she said.
Over the years, Varon shared Sara with her viewers. A video shortly after her birth in her arms and she made appearances on ABC7 on many occasions as she grew up. Later in life, Varon posted many of her adventures with Sara online. She says people come up to her all the time and thank her for sharing her special relationship.
"This is to keep my daughter's alive. She passed so young. She was only 29 and there was so much life head of her," she said in tears. "I want people to know Sara. I feel good about strangers knowing her and following her legacy. This brings me joy in a very difficult time. " said Varon.
The event will raise funds for the “Sara Janz Take Your Shot Memorial Scholarship” through the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), the producer of the Chicago/Midwest Emmy® Awards.
Sara was a founder of the organization's junior board of The NATAS.
"This is where young recipients coming out of high school and college will have a voice on what's done at the Emmys and other things. She was so involved with that so the scholarship just makes sense," said Ed Janz.
"Her legacy is one thing that will continue in our mind as mom and dad. Going forward what can we do with all the energy she put into it. We put it into education. You still have to have a foundation, an education. That degree still means a lot," said Janz.
"We want to help and support young people who want to pursue an education in communications, a broadcast career. " said Varon.
What would Sara think about this ?
"She'd say 'Oh Em Gee mom, this is way over the top' but I'm ok with it," she laughed.
The benefit concert will be next Tuesday at the Des Plaines Theater. Tickets are available here.