Telemiracle 34 as always, was a huge success. Year after year, I sit glued to the television for most of the weekend watching great Saskatchewan talent and impressive fundraising. This year I didn’t catch any of the show on Saturday, but you better believe Sunday when I woke up the first thing I did was turn the t.v. to channel 4, and that’s where it stayed until 5:00PM when the telethon ended.
This year, just like every other year, I pledged my donation, and patiently waited for my name to roll across the bottom of the screen. It didn’t (or not that I saw anyway), but I did see a handful of names from Swift Current, and that made me smile. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t give my hard earned money to see my name on t.v., I donate because you never know how it might be able to help you or someone you know in the future. I’m not capable of giving hundreds upon hundreds of dollars, but I admire the people that do. It brings tears to my eyes and a smile to my face hearing the personal bequests to Telemiracle. On Sunday while watching, one particular lady left $600,000 (yes, six hundred thousand dollars) to Telemiracle from her estate. That is simply amazing. She received a standing ovation in her honor, and you better believe I dragged my bum off the sofa to do the same.
Kudos to all the stars that so willingly donate their time to host the show as well. Its not only entertaining to see icons like Beverley Mahood, George Canyon, Bob McGrath, and Brad Johner on stage, but its inspiring as well. They are so kind to give a weekend of their time to travel down to Saskatoon or Regina year after year, to help encourage Saskatchewan residents and businesses to open their hearts and open their wallets for people with mental and physical disabilities. It’s also incredible to see the number of dedicated people in the stands who camp out for the weekend forever chanting “Ring Those Phones!!!” (Believe me, if I could find someone to camp out with, I’d be there too)
Even more impressive, is that the money donated to Telemiracle ends up right back in the community. Quoted from the Telemiracle website: “Combined with previous years’ contributions to Estevan, Yorkton, Lloydminster, Swift Current, Saskatoon and other communities, you can see that Telemiracle dollars reach out to every corner of the province.” Now that is something to be thankful for!
It’s over again for another year, but there will be plenty to look forward to next year, just as always, where you’ll find me in front of the television, teary-eyed, emotional, and totally grateful for the people who dedicate their lives to make other lives better.
Great Job Saskatchewan!
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