30 hour Telethon for Palliative Care Services returns in Brockville on Sunday
The 30 hour Telethon for Palliative Care Services is returning for its 39th edition on Saturday.
Funds raised from the telethon goes towards the Brockville and District Hospice Palliative Care Service.
The telethon is returning for the first time since 2020 after it was forced to cancel last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Multiple events are tied to the telethon including an online auction by Hands Auction Services that started at 9 a.m. Monday. The auction ends at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
A radiothon hosted by MOVE 104.9 FM's Bruce Wylie takes place on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wylie will be joined by MPP Steve Clark, Brockville General Hospital President and CEO Nick Vlacholias and Brockville Mayor Mike Kalivas during the broadcast.
The telethon then finishes up with a broadcast on YourTV (Cogeco) from the Brockville Arts Centre on Feb. 27 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wylie tells CTV News Ottawa that the ball was already rolling Friday morning giving those who are unable to participate over the weekend a chance to donate.
"We got some great support this morning. Over $10,000 raised to help kickstart the telethon tomorrow," Wylie said.
The 2020 telethon was a record year for the telethon with more than $250,000 raised. Wylie says anyway to support is helpful for the cause.
"I always say if you drop a quarter in a fish bowl, if you bought a palliative care star for $2 at one of the locations, if you bid on the silent auction, it doesn't matter what the amount is because it all adds up," Wylie said.
"Our fish bowls in 2020 raised over $12,000, the star program over $20,000, the auction over $15,000. So you can see that just by doing a little bit that you are part of a great success."
Fish bowls and Star donations are set up at various locations across Brockville and Prescott. Donations can also be dropped off in person at the Brockville Arts Centre both Saturday and Sunday.
"There are two major fundraisers, one is a golf tournament and the other is the telethon," Wylie added. "Together we raise over $500,000 for a program that cost's over $650,000 and it's not going down, the costs are going up so this is really, really important. If the community doesn't support it, it's not going to be there."
"Personally, my mom was in there a year ago in palliative care and i saw how important that service is," Wylie said. "We talk about dying with dignity, that's what it's all about and i know people are going to contribute this weekend."
Those who would like to make a donation online or by mail can visit the 30 hour Telethon for Palliative Care Services website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From AI running wild to collapsing ecosystems, government report outlines future disruptions
From artificial intelligence running wild to collapsing ecosystems, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the near future.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Police in Ontario say suspects charged in armed home invasion near Toronto part of 'larger criminal network'
Police in Ontario say a group of suspects charged in an armed home invasion north of Toronto last year were driving a vehicle stolen in a carjacking in Calgary just one month earlier.
Stolen septic truck swerves through traffic, spike belt needed to stop it: Manitoba RCMP
A 29-year-old woman has been charged after police say she stole a septic truck from a Manitoba community and drove erratically on the highway.
Orphan orca's extended family spotted off northeast side of Vancouver Island
Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.