Giovi raising funds, spirits at awards show

Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2004 | 8:26 a.m.

Las Vegas vocalist Mark Giovi will be the host and featured entertainment at an awards ceremony in New York City on Wednesday honoring actor Christopher Reeve and others who have shown courage in the face of handicaps.

Giovi, who performs at several local clubs, was born with cerebral palsy, which affected his left arm and leg, but not his ability to move fans with his inspiring talent.

The first Inspiration Awards, sponsored by the Beverly Hills, Calif.-based When U Dream a Dream organization, will be held at The Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art in Manhattan.

Reeve, best known for his role as Superman in four motion pictures, was paralyzed in a fall during an equestrian competition in 1995.

In 1999 Reeve became the chairman of the board of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports research to develop effective treatments and a cure for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders.

Whether Reeve will be able to attend the ceremony to accept the award personally won't be known until the day of the event. Organizers say it will depend upon how he is feeling at the time.

Also being honored at the two-hour dinner and ceremony is Dr. Michal Schwartz, who was at the equestrian competition when Reeve was thrown from his horse and is credited with saving his life.

Another award recipient will be sixth-grade teacher Chris Gallagher of San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Gallagher was born without the use of his arms and uses his feet to write, drive and perform other tasks.

"We are just a small charity without a million-dollar budget," noted Lawrence Pleskow, who created When U Dream A Dream to help people with severe handicaps fulfill some of their wishes. "This is a grass-roots operation."

Pleskow works primarily with cerebral palsy patients.

When Giovi came to Pleskow's attention, he invited him to be the emcee for the first awards program and to entertain.

"But it wasn't just because he has cerebral palsy or because of his spine-tingling voice when he sings," Pleskow said of his decision to use Giovi. "It was his overall presence onstage -- and his personality."

The 35-year-old Giovi, a native of Trenton, N.J., moved to Vegas about six months ago to pursue his entertainment career.

Since his arrival he has gained the admiration and respect of many fans. He often performs at the Bootlegger, Cafe Nicolle and other venues. Buddy Greco is producing a CD with Giovi, who is scheduled to perform at the San Gennaro Festival in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Giovi is no stranger to fund-raising events.

When he was 17 he appeared on the United Cerebral Palsy Telethon in New York, which was hosted by Clint Holmes, then a television talk show host. Holmes is now the headliner at Harrah's.

Giovi performed on the telethon for five years.

For more information about the charity and to make a donation go to whenudreamadream.org.