Country Cares or St. Jude Kids founder Randy Owen with the patients of St. Jude during the 2011 Country Cares Radio Seminar in January. (http://www.stjude.org/)
On Feb. 24-25, thirty-one Clear Channel radio stations across the country held Country Cares for St. Jude Kids radiothons and collectively raised more than $3.4 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This marked only the second year that a group of Clear Channel stations hosted radiothons during the same two-day timeframe, providing a big boost in the middle of the Country Cares radiothon season. The amount reflects an increase over last year’s total of nearly $2.8 million.
Country Cares for St. Jude Kids is one of the most successful radio fundraising programs in America with hundreds of radio stations helping generate more than $385 million for St. Jude since the program began in 1989.
Clear Channel country stations that held radiothons include WSIX (Feb. 23-24) (Nashville, Tenn.), WPOC (Baltimore, Md.), KYKR (Beaumont, Texas), WDXB (Birmingham, Ala.), WUSY (Chattanooga, Tenn.), KOLZ (Cheyenne, Wyo.), KCCY (Colorado Springs, Colo.), WSTH (Columbus, Ga.), WCOL (Columbus, Ohio), KHEY (El Paso, Texas), WQRB (Eau Claire, Wis.), KKIX (Fayetteville, Ark.), KMAG (Fort Smith, Ark.), WTQR (Greensboro, N.C.), WSSL (Greenville, S.C.), KTEX (Harlingen, Texas), WTCR (Huntington, W.V.), WMSI (Jackson, Miss.), KTPI (Lancaster, Calif.), KSSN (Little Rock, Ark.), WAMZ (Louisville, Ky.), WYYD (Lynchburg, Va.), KTOM (Monterey/Salinas, Calif.), KTST (Oklahoma City, Okla.), WPAP (Panama City, Fla.), WLLR (Quad Cities, Iowa) and WTNT (Tallahassee, Fla.). Urban gospel stations WAGH (Columbus, Ga.), WHLH (Jackson, Miss.) and KHLR (Little Rock, Ark.) and adult contemporary station WGSY (Columbus, Ga.) also held events.
Country Cares for St. Jude Kids began in 1989 after Randy Owen, lead singer of the music group Alabama met St. Jude founder Danny Thomas. Country Cares radiothons are designed to increase the community’s awareness and support of St. Jude. A radiothon typically lasts two days and is highlighted by St. Jude patient stories, story song vignettes and exciting radio station promotions.
Visit www.countrycares.org.
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