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!

Markey’s – the technology behind the energy

Sounds like a funny thing to say, but it’s true! Markey’s Rental and Staging donates two large screen televisions for Radiothon each year. But they’re more than televisions, they’re our “tote boards”, our way of keeping the phone bank volunteers and in-studio personalities up-to-the-minute on how the pledges are adding up. And it makes a difference in the call volume.

People want to be a part of something big. We all want to know that what we give is counting or, better yet, being matched to do more than we could do alone. These screens keep the momentum up at the event, so the on-air folks can report to our listeners and keep the calls comin’.

We always want to use our supporters’ dollars to reach those in need. That’s why we appreciate our partners who donate the use of their resources so much. Since we don’t have to rent that equipment, those funds can be used to provide shelter for moms and kids, a warm meal to a family in need and even after-school care for Indy metro kids.

That’s a big deal and we can’t thank Markey’s enough.