2010 Radiothon takes on a blue hue as Colts’ Zupancic and WIBC/ESPN 1070′s Staysniak co-chair

Each December, WIBC 93 fm hosts a three-day live fundraising event to benefit The Salvation Army. The 16th Annual Radiothon has a blue hue this year and will feature our co-chairs, Indianapolis Colts’ Tom Zupancic and WIBC/ESPN 1070′s Joe Staysniak. The ‘marathon of giving’ begins on 93 WIBC at 6 am on Friday, December 3 and ends just before the Colts kick it off with the Dalls Cowboys on Sunday, December 5, 2010.

Radiothon weekend is a lot of fun with Colts-themed prizes and touching stories of the men, women and children whose lives have been changed. But, it’s also a crucial part of funding the programs that provide financial and grocery assistance to struggling families, shelter for the homeless, refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence, after-school and summer opportunities for metro Indy children, and support for Hoosiers after natural disasters.

 So, what about those co-chairs?

Our co-chairs’ paths intersected at the Indianapolis Colts when Zupancic (above, left) served as Strength and Conditioning Coach during Staysniak’s (above, right) time as a player. They now host a Colts pre-game show along with Jeffrey Gorman and Wil Wolford, called The Heavyweights. The show, simulcast on 1070 The Fan and 97.1 Hank fm and airing on MyNDY, provides exclusive coverage and interviews about the Colts in the hours leading up to the game.

We’re thrilled to welcome these two Heavyweights as our 2010 WIBC Radiothon Co-Chairs. And we encourage you to join us. [check out the promo video] Corporate sponsorships are available starting at $500! We’re also looking for partners to donate prize packages for pledge incentives and for restaurants to donate meals to feed our volunteers and on-air talent who give their time to take pledges and encourage calls. Find out more at WIBCRadiothon.org or give Kristen a call at 224-1019.

The Big Finish

Wrapping up the 15th annual WIBC Radiothon – the Addai football went to a lovely woman who’s wrapping it up for her hubby’s Christmas gift, so I won’t spill the beans. And the final number is….$255,146!

Thanks so much to all of our hourly and in-kind sponsors – to Emmis Communications and the amazing men and women who produced the -athon, the programmers, the personalities, just everyone who’s made it easy to call Emmis’ lobby home for the past 55 hours. We would not be able to do what we’ve done without their dedication and enthusiasm.

And here are the teary thanks, so buckle up – Thanks to our Radiothon Chair, Quinn Buckner and the Indiana Pacers. You set the tone for giving before the event went on the air! Thanks to Walmart for that incredible demonstration of support! Not only did your $100,000 bump that total, but it went a LONG way in encouraging our listeners to step up and make the calls. Thanks to our Phone Bank sponsor, ValPak and REACH magazine for your generosity and the manpower to keep those calls a’comin. And we can’t forget the folks at Markey’s Rental and Staging for the donation of our big screens – the tote boards are so vital in communicating with our phone bank and with the studio.

On behalf of all of the men, women and children we serve, THANK YOU for your support! This weekend, you’ve truly made a difference right here in Indiana!

One to go

Last package of the day – the Family Fun pack. Treat your family to an Indiana Ice game (4 passes), a trip to the Indianapolis Zoo (2 passes and parking) and get there with a $50 Marathon gas card. You’ve got until noon to get your donation in at the ValPak and REACH magazine Phone Bank at 1-877-71-PEACE.

Walmart Rocks!

Jason Wetzel, Walmart Public Affairs, joined us in the studio this morning to share their support of The Salvation Army’s programs throughout the year. After some stand up comedy at Jeff’s expense and Amber’s unabashed infatuation with Jason’s eyes, we got down to business. You see, Walmart had decided to give us an early Christmas present – a $100,000 donation! Amazing! That puts our total raised so far at $236,047! But the more, the merrier…join the fun and give us a call at the ValPak and REACH magazine Phone Bank at 1-877-71-PEACE.

Any country music fans out there?

Ed Wank is on the airwaves and he’s looking for a serious country fan to represent. Ed’s donated an autographed Rodney Atkins “It’s America” CD for a caller who’s willing to make a $50/month donation. Is that you? Call the ValPak and REACH magazine Phone Bank now at 1-877-71-PEACE to take this disc home.

Marathon Oil and an Anthony Gonzalez football

The phones have been hot all afternoon, but they seem to be takin a break. We’d like to hear them ringing. Carl Brizzi’s show has taken the booth and Marathon Oil is matching donations up to $1,000 for the remainder of the hour. Marathon has also donated several gas cards that have been sprinkled throughout Radiothon.

Now’s the time to call, we’ve got an Anthony Gonzalez autographed Colts football available for the first caller to pledge $25/month this year.

Our Chair calls in

Even though he’s on the road with the Indiana Pacers, our 2009 WIBC Radiothon Chair, Quinn Buckner carved out a few minutes to call in and share a little about why he partners with The Salvation Army for this event. Quinn and Pacers Sports & Entertainment have been generous to our organization over the years, especially during the Christmas season. They’ve donated two pairs of tickets each hour to both the 2008 and 2009 WIBC Radiothon events as well as a couple of great prize packages. Last year, during the hour of Quinn’s call-in and in Jim Morris’ call-in, we raised about $6,000 for fellow Hoosiers in need!

Quinn’s offering a great incentive to call and make your pledge now – a $200 gift card to the Home Court gift shop at Conseco Fieldhouse. What a great Christmas gift or even a treat for yourself. So, from now until the end of this program, you’ve got a chance to call our ValPak and REACH magazine Phone Bank at 1-877-71-PEACE and make your donation.

And don’t forget to catch Jim Morris’ call tomorrow morning at about 9:30 to hear about Jim’s support of The Salvation Army and the prize he’s offering to those who call in their support.

The Mom Squad is here

 Continuing their tradition for the second year, the Mom Squad from Indianapolis Moms Like Me have joined us for a day of bellringing and this year, toy collecting as well. And look, they brought their custom PINK kettle along with them!

The Moms will be with us throught the day supporting our programs for kids – programs like after-school care, summer camp opportunities and tutoring. If you’re down on the Circle today, stop by and drop some change or a few dollars in the PINK kettle. And don’t forget your toy donation for our WISHtree/Angel Tree toy drive. The Moms have a collection box out front and will be happy to take your donation.

Thanks for your efforts, Mom Squad!

A boost from the NW Indianapolis Kiwanis

 An early morning visit from Jeff Gambiccini of the NW Indianapolis Kiwanis kick-started our Saturday efforts. Jeff stopped by to chat with Terri Stacy and Pigeon about his fellow Kiwanis and their commitment to their neighbors in need, through The Salvation Army. We can count on them each year to not only support the WIBC Radiothon, but our bellringing efforts as well.

If you’re a Kiwanis member, we’d love to hear from you. Give us a call at our ValPak and REACH Phone Bank at 1-877-71-PEACE or you can pledge your support right here.

And don’t forget, our Colts Pride prize package runs through the noon hour. Don’t have tickets to Sunday’s big game? We can give you a chance to change that! How about 4 tickets to Sunday’s Colts v Broncos games, a $75 Harry & Izzy’s dining card and a signed #58 Gary Brackett jersey to show your pride? Give us a call and get your name into the hopper to win!

Generosity and Jewelry

We’re still accepting pledges toward the “Night on the Town” til 7pm. But what about a $100 gift card to Windsor Jewelry?

Greg Bires joins us on air to present 25 – $100 gift cards to those who make a $15/month donation. They’ll go fast, so call our ValPak/REACH magazine Phone Bank with your pledge at 1-877-71-PEACE.

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