Ohio’s popular interpreter gets her own bobblehead doll
MILWAUKEE — The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum has unveiled a bobblehead of Ohio interpreter Marla Berkowitz.
During daily coronavirus briefings in Columbus, Berkowitz, Ohio's only certified deaf interpreter, has been front and center delivering important information using American Sign Language to the state's estimated 303,000 deaf or hard-of-hearing people.
The bobblehead of Berkowitz joins those of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, which were released last month.
Sales of bobbleheads featuring DeWine, Acton, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx have raised more than $185,000 for the Protect The Heroes fund in support of the 100 Million Mask Challenge.
The bobbleheads are available only through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum's Online Store. They cost $25 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order and will ship in July.
On a base bearing her name, the bobblehead features Berkowitz making the ASL symbol of love with her hands. In addition to the head, the hands also bobble.
A native of Long Island, N.Y., Berkowitz is a senior lecturer with the ASL program, which is housed in the Center for Language, Literature and Culture at Ohio State University.
She received the call interpret Gov. DeWine's press briefings due to her being the only ASL Certified Deaf Interpreter in Ohio who could handle the high-profile assignment. As a result, Berkowitz, who has been noticed for her facial expressions when she signs, has become an Internet sensation with a growing fan club and a fan page on Facebook.
Standing beside the governor and other officials at the press briefings, Berkowitz, who is deaf herself, gets help from a colleague in the audience who signs to her. Berkowitz then relays the information to viewers.
As for why she is so expressive during the press briefings, Berkowitz was quoted on Ohio State's website: "When I interpret, I have the deaf, deafblind, deafdisabled and hard-of-hearing community in the back of my mind, which is a responsibility I embody to ensure they are understanding the critical situation we're faced with the coronavirus."
The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals and teams across the country. Visit the company online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
"Bobbleheads are the ultimate honor, and we think Marla Berkowitz deserves it given the unheralded work she has done and continues to do for the deaf and hard-of-hearing people in Ohio during the battle against COVID-19," said Phil Sklar, National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO. "After releasing the bobblehead of Gov. DeWine and Dr. Acton, we received a lot of requests for a bobblehead of Ohio's No. 1 interpreter and we are excited to make it happen."
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st. St. in Milwaukee, opened in February 2019. The museum will donate $5 from every Berkowitz Bobblehead sold to Columbus Colony Elderly Care, a nursing care and rehabilitation facility owned by the Ohio School for the Deaf Alumni Association.
The funds will be used to purchase special masks with clear visibility surrounding the lips for Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and Hard of Hearing patients who rely on healthcare workers to wear masks.
This is a pre-sale product. If your order contains both in stock and pre-sale items, your order will be held until all items are available to ship. If you want in stock items to ship right away, you can place two separate orders or pay an additional $8 shipping charge by calling 800-414-1482.
This story was originally published May 2, 2020 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Ohio’s popular interpreter gets her own bobblehead doll."