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.

Until morning…

You won’t see a blog update until about 8am tomorrow morning when Amber Stearns takes over the big chair to wrap up our 15th annual WIBC Radiothon. But don’t let that stop you from calling our ValPak and REACH magazine Phone Bank to make your pledge in the overnight hours while Jersey Johnny’s at the helm. We’re hoping to be that much closer to our $225,000 goal by then.

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….

Thanks for dinner!

We appreciate the fantastic meal that the folks at GFS Marketplace donated to our volunteers tonight. We’re talking a pre-holiday spread of prime rib, mashed potatoes, vegetables, rolls and these amazing chocolate brownies. Believe us, if you’re on the fence as to what to make for your Christmas dinner or holiday gathering, this is the stuff! Thanks to Todd and Kim for coming by to share coupons. And a special thanks to our Emergency Disaster Services team for preparing the meal and winding their way through holiday traffic to deliver it steamy hot.

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.

The house is full

We’ve got a large group from am/pm convenience stores manning the ValPak and REACH magazine Phone Bank. So, we’ll need your help keeping them busy. If you haven’t had a chance to phone in that pledge, we’d love to hear from you!

This next program with Ed (of HANK 97.1fm’s Wank and O’Brien) has got a great prize pack - the Butler Fan Pack. Every caller is eligible for this pack that includes a voucher for 4 tickets to an upcoming Butler Bulldogs basketball game, a signed Butler basketball, a logo blanket and a rug. Good stuff for the Butler fan in your family – and really, who isn’t?

Just in time for Christmas

Until the end of Brizzi’s show at 5pm, we have a great prize package available. How about a Klipsch home theater system, a Weber Grill gift basket and three classic Christmas DVDs. It’s a package valued at about $1,350. If you’re so inclined to support our kids’ programs, this is a great time to get in on a package that will make a fantastic  gift this Christmas! Call our ValPak and REACH magazine Phone Bank at 1-877-71-PEACE or make your secure donation here.

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.

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