Fred Griffith, Cleveland TV Legend, Needs Help

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH - A local TV legend and community pillar is in need of financial support. Fred Griffith, 88, the former host of the Morning Exchange on Channel 5 and Good Company on Channel 3, recently underwent surgery for a fractured pelvis and now needs help paying for his recovery and assisted living.

A group of Griffith's friends started a GoFundMe campaign to help Griffith and his wife Linda recover from the surgery and move into assisted living. The campaign has raised a little more than $17,500, toward a target of $100,000. The campaign organizer, Nancy Heller, says Griffith was on shaky financial footing prior to the pelvis injury. After the surgery, "the apple cart was overturned," she says.

Now Griffith may be unable to return to his apartment. That's why, Heller says, the money raised from the campaign will mostly be used to help Fred and Linda move into an assisted living community.

Heller says that she has gotten a mixed response to the GoFundMe campaign. Most people have responded warmly to Griffith's need, happily contributing what they can. Others have been more derisive, calling the campaign unnecessary.

Heller says that people who don't like the campaign don't need to contribute to it. She doesn't understand why there's a need to vocalize the negativity.

The Griffiths and the Community

Fred Griffith helped put Cleveland on the map. During the 1970s, he hosted two talk shows on two different Cleveland television channels. Clips of his interviews with various people, including stars like Andy Griffith, survive on the Internet.

Fred helped put Cleveland on map and move past the burning river incident that so bruised the region's reputation.

His wife Linda, who is in her late 70s, has done more than her fair share to contribute to Cleveland's renaissance. She co-wrote a cook book, with Fred, called "Onions, Onions, Onions", which won the James Beard award.

Heller says the Griffiths have also supported young chefs like Michael Symon before they burst onto the national scene. "The Griffiths are part of the reason a Cleveland food scene emerged," Heller told Patch.

The Griffiths have also been extremely altruistic in their free time. Fred has worked with several local charities, including Slow Food, the Autism Society of Greater Cleveland, and Coit Road Market. The Griffiths have also been supporters of their local police department in Shaker Heights.

Heller and the other campaign organizers are also trying to get the Veterans Administration to provide benefits to Griffith. During the Korean War, Griffith served at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. However, due to what Heller calls a "snafu" in the paperwork, Griffith is being denied military benefits.

The plight of the couple has drawn support from Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman have both said they want to help correct the paperwork error and get Griffith the benefits he deserves. You can hear Senator Portman discuss the Griffith issue by clicking here.

Heller says she has not yet been able to connect with Portman's office about what he can do to help.

In the meantime, the Griffiths are in desperate shape, Heller says. The need to help the elderly couple is urgent, she adds.

"For people who enjoy cooking from their books or watched Fred on TV, we’re trying to help them now. We're hoping others will want to help them too," Heller told Patch.

You can find Griffith's GoFundMe page by clicking here.

Photo from Nancy Heller