It’s telethon time again in the Comox Valley.
On Sunday, Nov. 7th, the Comox Valley Child Development Association is hosting its 46th Children’s Telethon.
The Telethon will be broadcast live from the Sid Williams Theatre, from noon to 8:00pm via Shaw Spotlight.
Association marketing director, Brooklyn Galloway, says that while they’re going the virtual route again because of COVID, it isn’t going to take any of the shine off the fundraiser.
“You’ll get all of the same great performances and prizes, and special guests and you just get to watch from the comforts of your home, and the event will be basically broadcast live, and you can watch it on TV or any of your streaming devices,” she said.
Galloway added that they hope to build off the success of last year’s first ever virtual telethon, which raised over $96,000 for CVCDA programs and services.
“(We) really didn’t know what to expect in the face of COVID. We kind of had to rethink and things were delayed, and we just had to pull together really quickly and recalibrate and we came up with some online options and going virtual, and it ended up working out, and the support from the community was really amazing.”
After last year’s event, the Telethon Committee decided to carry forward many of these adaptations.
Sticking with this virtual concept means no in person spectators and strictly online fundraising.
As for the CVCDA Silent Auction, it went live on Oct. 1st and bidding is underway on over 40 items.
You can link to the auction here.
The association is also once again hosting its online 50/50 Raffle. Tickets are $5 each. There are 4,000 tickets available with a chance to win up to $10,000.
Both the auction bidding and 50/50 ticket sales will remain open throughout the Telethon broadcast.
Auction bidding will end at 7:00pm on Sunday, Nov. 7th.
Then, the 50/50 draw will be broadcasted live at 7:45pm.
All of these fundraising totals will be included in the total funds raised for the 2021 telethon.
If you want to make a monetary donation, you can do so by phoning in live to the Telethon to make a pledge to 250-334-9200 or call any time before or after the event to 250-338-4288.
Online donations are also accepted anytime at CVCDA.CA/telethon-donations.
The Comox Valley Child Development Association is a non-profit organization that’s been supporting children, youth and adults with diverse abilities and their families since 1974.
In 2020, over 1,000 Comox Valley children and their families used services at the CVCDA.
“Sometimes it’s just someone needing a little bit of extra help, sometimes there are some delays and they just need that kick start,” Galloway explained.
“It’s not just young kids in that early intervention, we’re helping adults get out in the community and build friendships through some of our programs. There are so many things going on here, with 16 different programs for every age group.”
The CVCDA says its programs are designed to “not only enrich the lives of the people who access these services but also to contribute to a stronger Comox Valley that welcomes and includes everyone who lives here.”
You can find more details about the telethon here or on the CVCDA’s Facebook page.
