Broward House Comes to the Aid of Local Entertainer

The community is coming to the assistance of legendary local entertainer, Ray Fetcho (a.k.a. Tiny Tina) who was recently hospitalized with an infection of the leg due to diabetes. Fetcho’s condition got worse and doctors were forced last week to amputate the leg.

Broward House, in conjunction with WFOR CBS-4, will be collecting money to help pay Fetcho’s hospital bills that he had recently accrued and purchase a prosthetic leg. Broward House and CBS-4 will be asking for donations at the Broward House booth at the upcoming Stonewall Street Festival and Parade being held this Sunday, June 20, 2010 from 11a.m. to 9 p.m. Broward House will be located in exhibition booth “B”.

“Tiny Tina has done so much for the community for around 40 years,” said Terry DeCarlo, Director of Marketing for Broward House. “At one time, there was hardly ever a charitable benefit in our community that she hadn’t either assisted in or organized herself and she goes back to the pre-AIDS days. The community now has a chance to thank her for many, many years of dedication to our area.” DeCarlo also stated that Broward House will be organizing a former benefit to assist her.

Earlier this year, Fetcho had been fired from his regular nursing job after her employers found out that he had been arrested in 1976 and accused of promoting a lewd and lascivious performance as she hosted the weekly wet jockey shorts contest at the Copa. In April of this year, the nursing home where he worked conducted a state-mandated screening of all employees. Under state law, the criminal conviction prohibited him from working with the elderly, infirm or children and disqualified him from continuing employment at the facility where he had worked for 16 years.

Fetcho’s attorney’s filed an appeal with the state’s Nursing Bo ard which decl

ared that he was not a threat and could return to work in the nursing field. Fetcho then lined up new job but had lost health insurance benefits.