Easter Seals ‘making a difference’
It’s the 50th anniversary of Graham Hart hosting the telethon
Easter Seals Peterborough announced on Thursday that their 52nd annual Easter Seals Telethon will be taking place on YourTV and Global Peterborough from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 24.
Last year’s goal was $80,000 and more than $100,000 was raised, explained Coralie Jacobs, Easter Seals manager of development for Eastern Ontario.
“So, we’ve increased the goal to $100,000 this year,” she said. “We’re hoping to obviously surpass our successes from last year.”
Jacobs noted that every penny counts and that donations do not just come from a handful of donors, but the entire community banding together.
“There are over 50 corporate sponsors that come together to support the telethon, and they’re sort of the base that we start growing from at the beginning of the day,” she said. “Then its safe to say that there are hundreds of individuals that phone and give a donation to Easter sales throughout the day.”
During the telethon, families will share how they have benefited from Easter Seals, noted Jacobs.
“We have families coming in about every 15 minutes to have a live interview with us,” she said. “And talk to us about how Easter Seals has changed their life.”
Funds raised through the telethon go primarily into two categories of Easter Seals philanthropies, noted Jacobs.
“The one that everybody talks about the most is sending kids to camp. So, we have two fully accessible camps for families to go to; one of them is near London and it’s called Woodeden and the other is near Perth and it’s called Merrywood,” she said.
“Then the other thing that we do a lot of is helping families better afford mobility assistant devices. So anything ranging from braces to walkers, to wheelchairs, to lifts, to any equipment that helps the child with their mobility and therapy.”
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Graham Hart hosting the telethon.
“That is a long time for someone to be continually supporting a cause, so it says a lot about the loyalty that Graham has toward the Easter Seals,” she said. “I can’t overstate how much we appreciate the longevity and the legacy that he’s brought to the telethon. There’s a familiarity there for our viewers for
sure, and we really appreciate Graham Hart for everything he’s done.”
Jacobs encouraged all Peterborough residents to tune into the telethon, as every donation has a big impact on the families helped by Easter Seals.
“We’re genuinely making a difference,” she said. “It’s a really special thing to be a part of a community initiative like this, and we just appreciate everybody coming forward to support us.”
Supporters can also donate to the telethon online at the organization’s website at easterseals.org/telethon.