The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Driscoll tradition continues with St. Jude Telethon
Talent show, bake sale, door prizes help the cause
The man who believed so deeply in actor and philanthropist Danny Thomas’ commitment that “no child should die in the dawn of life” may be gone. But the spirit of Tim Driscoll Sr. burned bright Sunday at the 39th annual Tim Driscoll St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital telethon at Torrington High School.
The event was dedicated to the man who started the local event 39 years ago and who died in August 2015.
The telethon collects donations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and, according to organizers, since its inception has donated around $1.5 million to the facility that provides treatment and research for children from around the nation with cancer.
Driscoll was a longtime Torrington resident who was known for his involvement in several community organizations, including the Democratic Town Committee and the Litchfield County Chapter of ALSAC, of which he was the president. He ran for mayor in 2008.
But it was the annual telethon — the only such active telethon raising money for St. Jude’s in the country, said organizers — that was his baby. He was given a Legacy Award by St. Jude in 2016 for his tireless commitment to the hospital.
According to its website, the mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.
Consistent with the vision of founder Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.
Now, Driscoll’s legacy is carried on by his children, grandchildren and other family members, as well as the community at large. His daughter, Kristin Raymond, his son, Kevin, and a nephew, Derek Turbacuski, served as masters of ceremonies for the event, which raised over $64,000 last year.
“I have been around the telethon since I was a little girl,” said Raymond, “and I started working with my dad when I was around 16. Toward the end, when dad was ill, we told him we wanted to carry on his legacy with the telethon. I think he was a little surprised but he was very pleased.”
Kevin Driscoll was somewhat new to the spotlight, having worked with Turbacuski “behind the scenes,” doing all the big and little things that make the 13-hour telethon an annual success.
“There are so many people that get involved in organizing and running this event,” said Kevin Driscoll. “It’s not just the volunteers (up to 100), but also the businesses that donate money and services, including food to our volunteers. It really is a community effort that goes beyond just Torrington.”
“There are so many people that ask us what they can do to help,” Turbacuski said. “They ask what they need to do to get us to where we want to be with donations and making the event first class.”
The telethon is, for all intents and purposes, also a talent show, with dozens of children and adults taking part in the entertainment portion of the event. Schools have been very active over the years, both in supplying young performers and serving as volunteers.
The event is also a callin fundraiser, and each year groups and individuals from Torrington and surrounding towns volunteer their time taking pledges in a separate room away from the performances in the THS Theater. Behind the telephones is a tote board that shows rolling updates of donations that have been made, with the culmination of the event being the final tally that comes at the end of the telethon. The event is carried live on Cablevision’s local public access channel.
“We have a lot of families who volunteer year in and year out,” said Lisa Bauer, who was in charge of the telephone room. Her daughter, Ashleigh, was handling one of the telephones as Becky Hughes, a cancer survivor who was treated at St. Jude, read pledges along with Deb Casey and Katy Driscoll. “And we are always adding new families to keep the telethon strong.”
Another highlight of the fundraiser was a popular food and bake sale, with a wide variety of food and sweets donated by residents and businesses. Door prizes featured donated items, and tickets for the prizes were available for purchase throughout the day.
“There is a deep commitment to keeping the telethon going and helping St. Jude’s, which does so many wonderful things for kids and their families,” said Raymond.
That certainly would make Tim Driscoll Sr. very pleased, indeed.