ESTEVAN - The United Way Estevan's Telethon has raised $149,500, with about 4 1/2 hours to go.
The telethon was sitting at a little more than $86,000 at midnight. The donations continued to roll in steadily Saturday morning, and the telethon surpassed the $100,000 mark Saturday afternoon. A $25,000 donation from former Estevan resident Jeff Sandquist pushed the fundraiser to $149,500 with less than five hours to go.
The goal for this year’s telethon is $345,000, and this year’s theme is TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More.
Proceeds from the event will be directed to the United Way’s community partners and 13 member agencies.
The 45th annual fundraiser began at 8 a.m. Friday morning, and will continue until 5 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. The entire event is taking place at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch, and will be broadcast on Access Now and at www.unitedwayestevan.com.
The telethon has featured entertainment since the start of the broadcast, with a blend between live and pre-recorded performances. Schools were a big part of the first few hours of the event.
People from the community have also lent their talents. A cooking contest happened Friday night.
Donations can be made through the United Way’s website, by e-transfers to etransfers@unitedwayestevan.com, by phone at 306-340-4625, or by dropping by the legion hall. There will be a drop box outside the main doors of the legion hall, for those who wish to drop off their donation without entering the hall.
There were 134 hand-crafted bid items available for people to bid on through a silent auction. The bid item line is 306-340-4629. Some of the bid items have already been sold.
Be sure to check out www.sasktoday.com for updates on the telethon throughout the weekend.
