And if you’re heading out the Colts/Broncos game tomorrow, look for the WISH-TV 8 personalities and our own volunteers at the WISHtree toy collection sites. When you donate a new, unwrapped toy or make a donation at the collection sites, you’ll receive a limited edition Colts poster! Help make Christmas bright for a child in need and you’ll enjoy the game that much more.

Thanks for listening to our 2009 WIBC Radiothon. Stay tuned for more in the morning….

So far, our total stands at $5,580 – not bad for a cold, December morning. But we need your help. Our goal this weekend is to raise $225,000 for our neighbors in need. We’re off to a great start. Don’t forget to check out our prize packages. There’s some great stuff out there – everything from Pacers tickets to Gerdt Furniture recliners to a couple of overnight stays downtown. Something for everyone! Oh, and don’t forget to check out our sponsor page. We have some generous business partners who’ve sponsored hours with matching funds as well as in-kind donations for those prize packages.

Don’t worry – you haven’t missed your chance to join us. To make your donation for men, women and children and need, go here or give us a call at 1-877-71-PEACE.

And as much as we appreciate the support, this sponsorship comes with some great perks. Each time a WIBC personality mentions the phone number or making a pledge, we’ll encourage listeners to “Call the ValPak and REACH magazine phone bank at 877-71-PEACE”. That’s a lot of mentions throughout 55 hours!

Looking for a great way to promote your business and give back to your community, too? We welcome you to join us as an hourly sponsor. With sponsorships starting as low as $500, we have options for even modest budgets. To learn more, you can call Kristen at 224-1019 or visit our event site at WIBCRadiothon.org.

I just want to let you know that your partnership is truly appreciated. We help thousands of people – men, women and children right here in our state – each year because we have amazingly generous partners who know what it means to give.

This is a big year for Radiothon – our 15th year hosting our Marathon of Giving on WIBC! We’re looking forward to working with you. Go here to check out information on how you can sponsor an hour or donate an item(s) to be used in our prize packages.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill

Do you realize that a week ago you changed lives? I’m not kidding. When you answered my call (or made that call yourself) you made a decision that will have a profound impact on someone’s life. If you were able to listen during our WIBC Radiothon last weekend, you heard the stories of women in our shelter, of volunteers who understand what it’s like to give to those who are struggling, of Angela who was able to turn her life around at our Harbor Light rehabilitation center. Your generosity makes that happen!

When you drop a dollar into a kettle on your way out of Walmart or when you set up an on-line red kettle to encourage giving and spread the word about how you support Salvation Army programs, you’re not just making a donation. When you give to The Salvation Army, you are making an investment in the lives of men, women and children right here in your community. That’s a better return than Wall Street these days!

Thanks for all you do to help us do what we do – it’s a partnership we don’t take for granted.

That’s really what we had at the end of the event, $220,000!!!! (and we were excited when Advisory Board member Don Steel and our own Development Director Jeff Stanger announced that we passed the $217,000 mark.) And that doesn’t factor in online donations and kettle counts still to report, so we’ll be sure to post the official count when we have it. I just don’t know how to express how thankful we are to all of you who gave, and gave and gave (check out the photos here)! A simple “thanks” doesn’t seem like enough to cover the generosity, but it’ll have to do. If you pledged a donation, donated a prize, fed our volunteers, sponsored an hour, answered a phone rang a bell outside or sent a prayer our way – THANK YOU!

Specifically -

First, to our friends at Emmis Communications and WIBC 93.1fm – We truly could not have a Radiothon without WIBC. The on-air time you donate is only the most noticable of your contribution. Thanks for the planning, the programming, the individual hours and the passion you all have for those we serve. We APPRECIATE you!

Thanks to Quinn Buckner and the Indiana Pacers – It was our sincere pleasure to work with Quinn Buckner as our 2008 Radiothon Chair. He is a gracioius and humble man who made the time in his busy schedule to meet with us, take the photos, make the arrangments, record the liners, call in to the event. Bet he didn’t know what he was getting into when he said yes! Kevin Messenger – you made it happen. Your follow up and attention to detail was so appreciated. Thanks to Jim Morris and the Pacers for the gift cards, tickets and so much more!

Thank you to our hourly sponsors – You are the foundation of this event. You lay the groundwork with your contributions and your example encourages others to follow with their contributions. Thank you to Reach USA/ValPak, Barth Electric, Deloitte & Touche, Perkins Nichols Media, Hoosier Trust Company, Walmart, Zink Distributing, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Marathon Oil, Northwest Indiana Kiwanis, MacAllister Machinery, Queso Blanco Mexican Restaurant, Hoosier Glass, The Mutual Fund Store, Planned Investment, Firestone, RAM Tool & Supply, Batteries PLUS, Dellen Automotive and The UPS Store.

Thanks to our in-kind sponsors who donated the incentives and prizes to thank callers for their contributions. Your items built excitement and kept those calls coming! Thanks to the Indiana Pacers, Royal Spa, Gerdt Furniture, the Indianapolis Colts, Palamino, Weber Grill, EMS, Harry & Izzy’s, Yellow Rose Carriage, The Canterbury, Windsor Jewelers, Comedy Sportz, Rock Bottom….there’s so many of you! Go to WIBCRadiothon.org to see them all.

To our volunteers and staff – Thank you SO much for giving one of the most valuable commodities there is….your TIME! For those of you who answered phones, who rang the bells on the Circle, who refilled coffee pots and emptied trash…we COULD NOT have an event of this magnitude without you!

So many people will find the help they need through The Salvation Army because you took the time to support this event. THANK YOU!!!!!