Two Montgomery County residents to be honored at Variety Club’s annual Vegas night fundraiser

Katie Spencer, of Worcester, and Marialyce Ibach, who grew up in Harleysville but now lives in Souderton, are being honored as the 2018 Aces of Variety by Variety, The Children’s Charity at the annual Vegas at Variety night for their extraordinary impact on the charity.
The fundraiser is scheduled for March 24 at College Hall at Montgomery County Community College, 340 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell, from 7 to 11 p.m. Tickets are available online at https://support.varietyphila.org/VegasAtVarietyNight2018.
Variety, The Children’s Charity, located on Potshop Road in Worcester, serves children and adults with special needs through educational, developmental and social programs and classes year-round. Vegas at Variety is just one of the fundraising efforts the organization relies on to finance the camp and its programs.
Katie Spencer has been involved with Variety Club for most of her life. The club offers year-round sports programs for children and adults with special needs. Katie took full advantage of most of what Variety offers. She played soccer, basketball and baseball, and also participated in swimming, scuba diving, dance, ceramics, art and karate classes. Katie attended the popular summer camp for many years, and became a counselor-in-training before transitioning into Variety’s summer vocational program.
“I am very excited to be honored by Variety,” Katie said. “I’ve been going there a really long time. In the vocational program, I learned how to handle responsibility for myself and the kids on my team. The counselors taught me how to cook and to be a good employee. I volunteered in the after school program because I like helping people.”
Katie was chosen to serve as a Variety Ambassador — and in that capacity she represented Variety at various fundraising and check presentation events.
After graduating from Methacton High School in 2010, Katie then volunteered in the Variety Club after-school program where she worked with several students who, in Katie’s words, “had a disability and needed extra help in most of the activities.”
For her efforts at Variety Club, Katie earned The Presidential Volunteer Service Award, which was established to honor those who give hundreds of hours per year helping others. She was just recognized by the Philadelphia Flyers and Walmart as a Community Playmaker for her extensive community service including cooking and delivering meals for homebound seniors, volunteering both in the dementia unit at Dock Woods Senior Care in Lansdale and at the no-kill shelter Kitty Cottage, and raising money for both Variety Club and Special Olympics. Katie’s diagnosis of Down syndrome doesn’t deter her zest for life, dedication to her community or concern for others.