Roz Varon

Varon joined ABC7 Chicago in 1989 after nine years as a radio traffic reporter in the Chicagoland area. She initially failed to secure the television role after her first audition, then submitted a second audition tape featuring a confident report from a bridge above an expressway. She was hired after the second audition and became one of the original members of "ABC7 Eyewitness News This Morning," which debuted in April 1989.

At the station, Varon learned television reporting while working as the morning traffic anchor and transportation reporter. She shadowed anchor Alan Krashesky for a week and expanded her work to include extensive transportation coverage. Varon retired from ABC7 after a 35-year career.

During her ABC7 career, Varon produced "Roz Varon's 1 Tank Trips," a series about nearby destinations that viewers could reach on a single tank of gas. One of her favorite assignments took her to Indiana Dunes National Park, where she tried kayaking and recalled flipping over when her instructor pushed her into the water.

Varon also produced "Weekender," a weekly roundup of events in the Chicago metropolitan area. She said the feature eventually became a resource viewers used to plan their activities. Her work in traffic reporting, specialty programming, spot news, and features earned multiple Emmy Awards, as well as several Peter Lisagor Awards.

Varon received a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis in 2006 and later used her public platform to promote cancer prevention and awareness. Her breast cancer special, "Faces of Inspiration," won the Illinois Broadcasters Association's Silver Dome Award.

Her advocacy was also recognized by the Girl Scouts of the USA, which honored her with a Thanks Badge as a role model. Varon has described her media platform as an opportunity to help people and share information about cancer awareness.