āWay over the top,āĀ was the pleasantly surprising result of Sundayās 37th Annual Share-A-Smile Telethon.
When all the smoke had cleared in the makeshift studio in the OSNS Child and Youth Development Centre gym, the final figure was an astounding, recorded-breaking total of, $74,327.91 far surpassing the goals and expectations of organizers.
Read more: Telethon critical for Okanagan children
āIt really was astonishing, last year we had $52,000,ā said a tired but jubilant Manisha Willms, OSNS executive director afterwards. āIt was such a team effort, the energy was fantastic, the donors, the volunteers. Our board members, staff were all here. We had amazing live acts and just such a fun day that we all got swept up into it and weāre enormously grateful.ā
Broadcast live on Shaw TV and streamed online on the centreās website, the five-hour program got underway at noon and the totals continued rising until the programās end at 5 p.m.
For the second year the telethon included an online auction but the difference this time around was the much larger of menu items of goods and services generously donated by local businesses and which brought in thousands of dollars.
āWhat I always try to reflect on at the end of these events is that ultimately this will change the lives of children and thatās the important piece,ā said Willms. āEvery bit of the funds we were able to raise will go directly to improving the treatment and the quality of what the children of the South Okanagan receive.
āSo to me that is the really heart warming part and I am just so really thankful from the bottom of my heart for the manner in which everybody pitched in.ā
OSNS board chair Tyler Chick added: āAs a board member, it truly warms my heart to see how many community partners come out to support this event, whether it is goods and services, time spent, or donations over the phone. What we have here is trulyĀ amazing.ā
Among the many people who stopped by in person to drop off a donation was Cheryl Latimer and her four-year-old son Lyndon Start.
āWeāre here today because Lyndon just started (at OSNS) theyāve just amazingly helped us so much,ā said Latimer.Ā āItās a hard, hard transition and itās a great organization.ā
Mare McHale and longtime centre friend Dennis Walker co-hosted the afternoon which featured a number of panel volunteers from businesses and community organizations taking the calls from people wishing to donate.
The goal of OSNS is to maximize the potential of all children helping over 1200 kids annually, many facing significant developmental challenges.
The Centre operates early treatment services, autism diagnosis and treatment, family support, Kinderplace Pre-school, and KinderBear Daycare. Treatment services are delivered at the centre and throughout the South Okanagan Similkameen through the mobile outreach programs.