The United Way Estevan’s 43rd annual Telethon was one for the record books.
The 33-hour fundraiser generated a total of $377,152 through donations from the community, eclipsing the old record of $372,414. Proceeds from the telethon will be directed towards the United Way’s 15 member agencies and its community partners.
United Way Estevan president Becca Foord said the record is nice, but the most important part is that the United Way raised so much money.
“We can help so many more people in this community,” said Foord.
The telethon eclipsed its goal at about 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, about three hours before the event was finished. SaskPower contributed more than $111,000, thanks to funds raised by employees and matching support from the corporation.
At that point, Foord called national CEO Dan Clement to inform him of the local United Way’s accomplishment. He offered his congratulations to the United Way and the community as a whole.
The telethon started at 8 a.m. Friday and continued until 5 p.m. Saturday. It featured entertainment throughout the 33 hours, with school students, dancers, singers, instrumentalists, soloists and groups all lending their talents.
Estevan Comprehensive School students held their annual takeover of the Telethon during the overnight hours.
Support for the telethon was strong throughout the 33 hours as well. The total surpassed the $100,000 mark at 4 p.m., and the Friday total of more than $139,000 was a record.
It grew to more than $158,000 as of Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m., when the mines brought in more than $81,000. The money was raised by members of the United Mine Workers of America, with matching support from Westmoreland Mining LLC.
The donation from the mines not only provided a big boost to the telethon, but it pushed the United Way Estevan past a couple of milestones. One is that the United Way has now raised more than $9 million since 1977, the year of the first telethon. That figure includes money that comes in after the telethon.
Also, the telethons alone have now generated more than $8 million in support.
The theme for this year was Give where you Live, and that was drawn on many times during the weekend, and in fundraisers that took place before the telethon.
Also boosting the total during the telethon was a raffle for a quilt, donated by Hearts and Hands Quilting Guild, and 79 hand-crafted bid items created by local residents.
Two Prince Albert Raiders hockey jerseys, autographed by former Raiders captain Brayden Pachal of Estevan, were sold during Friday night’s Estevan Bruins hockey game, generating another $4,300 for the United Way.
Next week’s edition of the Mercury will have more on this story.
