Meet our Emcees from ABC New York!

Two women standing side by side, one wearing a red dress with short sleeves and the other wearing a maroon long-sleeve dress, both smiling and looking towards the camera.

We are beyond thrilled to introduce you to our co-emcees for Independence Is Golden: Brittany Bell and Heather O'Rourke from the ABC7 Eyewitness News New York Morning Team!

Brittany is an award-winning meteorologist who is regularly featured on Good Morning America and ABC World News Tonight. Brittany loves supporting animal-related causes, and she enjoys spending time outdoors with her two "fur-babies", a black lab mix named Stormy, and a beagle mix named Summer.

Heather O'Rourke is a four-time Emmy Award winning traffic anchor for the ABC New York Morning Team. She lives in the Garden State with her husband, two children and her two rescues, Bones and Astro. Heather is also proud to support charities like Canine Companions. Come and meet Brittany and Heather when you attend Independence Is Golden!

Musical Guests

A young man and woman pose together in a softly lit indoor setting. The man wears a black shirt and pants, while the woman also wears a black outfit with sheer sleeves. They both smile, displaying a friendly and happy demeanor.

Our musical entertainment is being provided by Maddie Dagger and Shane Manfre, music education students at Hofstra University! Maddie is the niece of Canine Companions Northeast Region Advisory Board member Yvonne Dagger. She’s an award winning cellist, and is president of Hofstra’s ASTA (American String Teachers Association). Post-graduation, Maddie hopes to teach orchestra in public schools and continue to be an active performer. Shane is a violinist with the Hofstra Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and Chorale. Shane has also played in local productions of Catch Me If You Can and Jekyll and Hyde. After graduating, Shane hopes to continue to perform and to teach orchestra in public schools.