On March 7th Easter Seals Central Illinois will be broadcasting their 40th Anniversary telethon at the Par-A-Dice Hotel in East Peoria.

While the details of the telethon are still being worked out, the organization is excited to celebrate the special anniversary.
“We’re looking forward to bringing back some of our past ambassadors and folks that have been involved throughout the years of the telethon and VIP campaigns,” Chad Cunningham, Annual Campaign Manager, said.

Beyond just raising funds, the telethon serves to educate viewers about all the specialized pediatric programs Easter Seals provides and to celebrate the milestones of Easter Seals families.

During the telethon viewers will meet Easter Seals families and the volunteers who work year round to help support them.
After the record breaking 2014 telethon, in which the VIP Campaign generated over $1 million dollars of the total $2,439,743, volunteers are hard at work trying to make this year’s campaign just as successful.

Volunteer Campaign VIPs and their teams are raising money in a wide variety of different ways.

“Some do a lot of online fundraising, some are doing a back-to-basics letter writing campaign, some are doing bake sales, and some are holding special events,” Cunningham said. “There are all kinds of opportunities for folks to get involved and ultimately help raise awareness and funds for the kids.”

Some of the special events being held to raise money for the VIP campaign include a Spaghetti Dinner, the Black & Blue Ball, and the Run, Walk, & Roll 5K.

While the campaign has a financial goal they choose to focus on the impact those funds have raised instead of just the total number of dollars.

“The overarching financial goal is one million dollars, but within that is our goal to raise 10,000 hours of specialized pediatric therapy,” Cunningham said. “One hour of therapy costs around $120, so we want our volunteers to be able relate and see how many hours of therapy they can help provide for the kids.”

Leading up to the telethon multiple VIP campaign luncheons are being held.

“You come to learn more about Easter Seals, you get engaged, you hear from well respected leaders in the community, and you also get to hear from Easter Seals families first hand about how they have benefited from the service,” Cunningham said. “It’s a great way for folks to really ignite their passions.”

The upcoming featured guest speakers at the VIP Campaign Luncheons include Brad Halverson, Group President and CFO, Caterpillar Inc., Dan Cunningham, Executive Director Louisville Slugger Sports Complex, and Jake Hamann, President and CEO, Onefire Media.

There are still plenty of opportunities to get involved with the VIP Campaign and help raise money for Easter Seals.
“I would encourage anyone who would like to get involved or learn more about Easter Seals to give us a call,” Cunningham said. “We would be happy to set up a tour either for people individually or as a team. There’s no better way then to learn first hand touring the facility.”

More information on how to get involved can be found at www.kidstherapyprogress.com/ or by calling the Peoria Center at 309-686-1177 or the Bloomington Center at 309-663-8275.

Photos Courtesy of Easter Seals Central Illinois