From a young magician at summer magic camp to a mission dedicated to healing through magic.
Ted founded Operation Magic to continue the legacy of magic as a universal language and tool for healing — and to provide a forum for magicians, especially young ones, to be exposed to performing, build confidence, and share smiles.
See how this legacy lives on today in our Stories of Impact.
Bob Elliott (1934–2010) was a magician and mentor in the New York magic scene who passed away in December 2010 at age 76. As director of Tannen's Magic Camp for nearly two decades, he was a magical mentor for hundreds of magicians, both amateur and professional. In addition to teaching, Bob performed for friends, strangers, and often hospital patients. He often remarked that the smiles he put on people's faces were priceless.
Ted Myerson knows first hand the impact magic can have on a child. Myerson learned his first magic trick at age eight and attended Tannen's Magic Camp from 1985–1992. As a young magician, he performed at children's parties, corporate events, and children's hospitals. Besides bringing joy to the performer and the watcher, magic teaches confidence and public speaking — skills Ted used in his professional career.
"You don't need to know the language, because it's visual. The nurse told me that was the first time the child had smiled since her surgery."
"The smiles he put on people's faces were priceless."
Local newspapers were already telling the story: a young magician using his craft to bring joy and confidence to others. The mission of Operation Magic was being lived out long before it had a name.
