Amani Abraham Joins WKYC As An Akron/Canton Multi-Skilled Journalist

Amani Abraham

WKYC-TV has announced the addition of Amani Abraham as the station's newest Multi-Skilled Journalist (MSJ), according to Channel 3 News Director Brennan Donnellan.

She will be working from our new Akron/Canton Mobile Newsroom along with WKYC Videojournalist Carl Bachtel to bring viewers stories that matter to them from our southern counties of Medina, Portage, Summit, Stark and beyond.

Donnellan tells the Director's Cut Blog, "Some of you may know Amani from her work at WAKR radio. For the past five years she has been covering the Akron market. In that time Amani has become known as a very strong reporter who also shoots and edits video."

After joining Rubber City Radio in 2011, she was named a "Woman To Watch" by the Women's History Project in Akron. Her first assignment was with WAKR-AM/1590 and has spent the last three years as the morning news anchor and content contributor at sister station, American Country Music Award winning station WQMX-FM/94.9

She has been recognized for her work in radio journalism, receiving the first place awards for Best Reporter by the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors Association and the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).

Amani, born and raised in Northeast Ohio, graduated with a dual degree in News and Radio/TV Broadcasting at The University of Akron where she spent four years as an on-air personality, editor, and host for WZIP-FM and Z-TV.

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WKYC Partners With Local Charities For 2016 Make A Difference Day Projects

WKYC, a TEGNA Media station, will partner with several Northeast Ohio charitable organizations on Make A Difference Day, one of the largest annual single-days of service nationwide. This year, Make A Difference Day will take place on Saturday, October 22.

Make A Difference Day unites volunteers from across the country with a common mission: to improve the lives of others through a wide range of community-driven service projects. Employees from WKYC and their families will make a difference by volunteering at five local nonprofits, all of which were hand-picked by station employees themselves.

At Ronald McDonald House, WKYC staffers including anchor Sara Shookman will prepare boxed lunches and bake treats for residents, and assemble “boredom bags” for children. Other projects include sorting and shelving merchandise at Kids in Need Resource Center, gardening and raking at Fieldstone Farm therapeutic riding center, and doing outdoor clean-up at American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge.

And for the second year in a row, employees are spearheading a project to benefit residents at the men’s shelter operated by Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry at 2100 Lakeside Ave. Staffers including anchor Russ Mitchell and reporter Matt Granite will be among the volunteers painting the shelter and grilling burgers and hot dogs during a midday cookout.

“This shelter project is becoming an annual tradition. We are located just a few blocks from the men’s shelter and we’re really proud of the fact that our employees want to reach out and be good neighbors,” said Margaret Bernstein, WKYC Director of Advocacy & Community Initiatives.

WKYC partners with BVU: The Center for Nonprofit Excellence to coordinate and promote Make A Difference Day projects across Northeast Ohio.

The TEGNA Foundation, supported by TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA), will contribute $185,000 in community grants for Make A Difference Day projects across the country. Make A Difference Day is made possible by the employees of TEGNA with support from the Arby’s Foundation and longtime partner Points of Light. Make A Difference Day began in 1992 and has since helped millions of Americans.

Organizers of Make A Difference Day projects are encouraged to register at makeadifferenceday.com. By registering, projects become eligible to win a $10,000 grant to donate to a charity of their choice.

Additional information can be found at www.makeadifferenceday.com.

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Follow Frank Macek on Twitter @frankmacekwkyc and on Facebook