Originally posted by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
WSB radio listeners pledged $1.737 million for this year’s 19th annual AFLAC Cancer and Blood Disorders Center Careathon at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
It exceeded last year’s pledge total of $1.697 million and fell just short of the record $1.75 million from 2017.
During the 36 hours, the station mixed and matched different local hosts, taking syndicated hosts Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity off the air during the ay in favor of such combos as an hour with "Smilin'" Mark McKay, Mark Arum, Doug Turnbull and Ashley Frasca on Thursday and Eric Von Haessler, Clark Howard and Scott Slade on Friday.
It is also an annual excuse to extricate Neal Boortz - who technically retired in 2013 - from his abode in Naples, Fla. and get on the air with various WSB personalities to encourage listeners to donate.
On Thursday, Boortz was joined by his long-time producer Belinda Skelton, along with McKay.
“It’s like ABBA! Getting the band back together again!” Skelton said.
Herman Cain - who succeeded Boortz in 2013 but left the station last year - wasn't able to make it to the AFLAC Cancer Center studio but called in to Boortz and donated $5,000. Ever competitive, Boortz's wife Donna then pledged $6,000 just to beat Cain. On Friday, she pledged another $5,000.
Credit: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com. Scott Slade, who came up with the idea of the AFLAC Cancer Center careathon, manned the mic for many of the hours in 2019.
Credit: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com. Scott Slade, who came up with the idea of the AFLAC Cancer Center careathon, manned the mic for many of the hours in 2019.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com. Clark Howard and Eric Von Haessler on Friday, July 26, 2019 at the AFLAC Cancer Center Careathon by WSB.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com. Clark Howard and Eric Von Haessler on Friday, July 26, 2019 at the AFLAC Cancer Center Careathon by WSB.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com. Cancer survivors Kyle Klerk and Josh Mack visit the WSB AFLAC Cancer Center careathon Thursday, July 25, 2019.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com. Cancer survivors Kyle Klerk and Josh Mack visit the WSB AFLAC Cancer Center careathon Thursday, July 25, 2019.
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Credit: 690/The Fan
Credit: 690/The Fan
Earlier this month, 680/93.7 The Fan held its sixth annual annual Camp Twin Lakes radiothon. It raised about $100,000 from about 500 donors. That’s enough money to send 185 children with serious illnesses, disabilities and other life challenges to the camp.
Camp Twin Lakes subsidizes 70 percent of the cost of each camper, and 72 percent of campers attend camp at no cost to their family. It hosted 3,800 campers this summer.
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