Telemiracle is reaching its 40th anniversary and they want to hear stories from Saskatchewan people.
The 20-hour telethon wants to celebrate 40 years with stories from all over Saskatchewan about what Telemiracle has meant to them.
“Everybody knows somebody who has been helped or has been a recipient themselves or knows somebody who has been on the show,” said Jody Diakow with Telemiracle. “We’re really looking for everybody and anybody who has a story to tell.”
These are the stories that bind us together in Saskatchewan, said Diakow.
“What we find is the stories become a very intriguing part of our show and the lead up to our show,” she said. “In a lot of cases, it’s stories that people can relate to.”
Over the past 39 years, Telemiracle has raised $111 million to help people in Saskatchewan - more than any other telethon in the world, says the Telemiracle website. For every dollar donated, 75 cents goes back to the community.
Past participants and their families have been the main stories on the website collection page, especially those who have joined the Kinsmen and Kinettes after receiving help themselves.
“They were so grateful for the support that was provided and they felt like they needed to do something to give back so they joined Kinsmen and Kinettes to give back,” Diakow said.
Telemiracle is also looking for more variety in stories.
“We just want to get the word out there in terms of getting recipient stories,” Diakow said. “It could be individuals who have volunteered on the show or maybe they’ve performed on the show.”
Over the past nine years, Telemiracle has provided grants to 4,400 people for everything from mobility equipment, renovations to their home (ramps, ceiling tracks) to accessible playgrounds and other community-based projects.
Special equipment costs can run from $450 walkers to $18,000 van conversions.
In the last couple of years, Telemiracle has seen an increase in the number of applications, both from individuals and foundations.
“Our priorities are funding individuals first, providing care home equipment second and then health foundations third,” Diakow said.
