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Canadian Idol judge, Zack Werner, may be brutally honest with contestants and more than a little snarky but at the end of the day, he seems like a pretty good guy.
It was his birthday the other night but he was wearing a colorful t-shirt that said “Shania’s Sunflower of Hope.” He made reference to it but I didn’t know what it meant and I kind of forgot until I read the following interview. It really touched me:
Canadian Idol judge Zack Werner appeared on the show this week in a T-shirt recognizing the efforts of Shania Johnston, a Markham girl who has cancer.
“My daughter got all excited. She was giddy about it,” said Shayne Johnston, Shania’s father. Since Shania, 8, began fundraising in the summer of 2006, she has raised more than $55,000. Shania’s aunt in Nova Scotia, who has lung cancer, called Shania’s mom Karen and said she had seen the show.
Mr. Warner has been asked about the T-shirt he was wearing. He showed off the Shania’s Sunflower of Hope shirt and wished Shania well. He had visited Shania at The Hospital for Sick Children with a package full of Canadian Idol pictures and tattoos.
Apparently, after that, anyone who came into Shania’s hospital room got tattooed, including one of the nurses.
Mr. Werner invited Shania to see Canadian Idol live, in person.“We’re hoping she will be able to go,” Mr. Johnston said.
Shania loves swimming, playing hockey and doing gymnastics. She wants to be a teacher when she grows up and loves school. She has a younger sister named Shannon.Shania was diagnosed with neuroblastoma Stage 4 in June 2006. She had a tumour removed from the inside of her skull, was treated with chemotherapy (seven cycles in total) and has had her adrenal gland removed.
She began fundraising last August with her friend Bronwyn. They sold beaded necklaces, bracelets and keychains. Shania decided to call her campaign Shania’s Sunflower of Hope, sunflowers are Shania’s favourite flower and she wanted to help children with neuroblastoma.
In April 2007, after a short period of freedom from the disease, Shania started to relapse. She is now seeking further treatment.
If you would like to buy a t-shirt or learn more about Shania’s fundraising efforts, click here.
No matter how hard Zach tries to be the “Simon” of Canadian Idol, everyone knows what a sweetheart he really is. It is so nice to hear him supporting that little girl.
Ozzy, I agree. Just look at that sweet smile on his face, but wait is that makeup??
While I’ll raise my hat regarding Zack’s support for the “Shania Hope” thing, I think he’ll NEVER be like “Simon”. Simon is for real, and Zack is not just a “wannabe” but a true replica of a “hypocrite”\
I’ve been listening his reactions quite keenly and the only word I can find to match his attitude is “HYPOCRITE”
I’d like to say what a fine music judge Zack Werner is……..I’d like to…..but I can’t!
After coming out of the industry in LA and now being in Toronto (night and day) why do the contestants never that the orchestra, it’s tacky. All they would have to do, is the arm sweep and thank you to the band. I do the the judges are phenominal. My last schtick is, I know Debbie or Deborah is the singing coach. Well, there’s a song written by Diane Waren back in 1993. It was recorded by Desmond Childs and Judy Cheeks. My daughter who was quite young at the time was is the video playing a young Judy. The name of the song is “You are the story of my Life” When I first heard it the day of the video shoot. I sat and cried, can one of the judge\s or someone pick up the cd it’s on Judy Cheeks Respect alburn and maybe introduce it to one of the female contestants because otherwise no one will hear this absolutely gorgeous song……….Thank you so much Terry Cooper-Porter (Mrs.)
I agree that Zack is a Simon Cowell wanna be. He can be very nasty at times, and hurtful. Example being with Jaydee on Monday singing an Elvis song, and Zack slamming him with going home and singing Shmelvis. It was a sing your hero night. That was exactly what Jaydee was doing. Zack sucks big time. I’d rather have Simon Cowell. Send Werner to judge with Pierce Morgan. Pathetic judge!!