Telemiracle

Telemiracle is a telethon organized by the Kinsmen and Kinettes in Saskatchewan, Canada for the benefit of the Kinsmen Foundation. Initially broadcast on both CTV and CBC affiliates in Saskatchewan, it is now broadcast, commercial-free, exclusively on the province's CTV affiliates.

History

In the province of Saskatchewan, the Kinsmen stage the annual 20-hour Telemiracle telethon, which was first held in 1977 to benefit the Kinsmen Foundation. The first telethon raised more than CAD $1 million, which at the time was considered a record for per capita telethon fund-raising in a 20-hour period (the province had a population of only about 1 million people at the time). The telethon passed the $2 million mark for the first time in 1983. And in recent years, the telethon has routinely raised between $3.0 and $3.5 million each year.

Originally, the Kinsmen had the idea to have a car raffle to raise funds to help with all the requests for assistance they received but the government wouldn't allow it. [cite web| title = Former Telemiracle Organizer Recalls Telemiracle 1 | publisher = SwiftCurrentOnline | date = | url = http://www.swiftcurrentonline.com/index.php?option=com_ezine&task=read&page=9&category=21&article=2184&Itemid=86| accessdate = ] So instead, they came up with the idea for a telethon.

Early broadcasts of the telethon featured a mix of national and international celebrities such as the late John Allan Cameron, Gloria Loring, Alan Thicke, the Irish Rovers, Arte Johnson of Laugh-In, Bob McGrath of Sesame Street, game show personality Jim Perry, his daughter Erin Perry, singer and TV host Blake Emmons (who was the telethon's de facto host during the first few years, a post later taken over by Thicke in the 1980s), pianist Frank Mills and Saskatchewan-born motivational speaker Alvin Law. In recent years, the event has mostly attracted Canadian talent. Traditionally, the telethon alternates between the two major Saskatchewan cities of Saskatoon and Regina.

Telemiracle 30 was held on March 4 and 5, 2006 at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina. It raised a grand total of $3,491,538.

A scheduling mixup has resulted in Telemiracle 32 being relocated to Saskatoon in 2008. A convention was booked in Regina for the days leading up to the telethon, meaning that Telemiracle will be held in Saskatoon for 3 consecutive years. Telemiracle will return to Regina in 2010. [cite web| title = Telemiracle returns to Regina in 2010 | publisher = NewsTalk 980 | date = | url = http://www.newstalk980.com/index.php?p=ntnews&action=view_story&id=6432| accessdate = ]

Showing incredible Saskatchewan spirit and generosity, and bolstered by several large bequests, Telemiracle 31 broke all previous records. The official final total announced by the Kinsmen Foundation was $5,604,682 - smashing the previous record set in 2004.

Format

Shown annually on CTV affiliates, the broadcast kicks off at 9PM local time on the first Saturday in March (though for the first half of its history, it was scheduled in February). In recent years, a stirring rendition of All I Need is a Miracle by Mike + The Mechanics has marked the launch. The broadcast then goes live to the host auditorium, where members of the national cast are introduced.

At 11PM local time, the broadcast takes its only break, a 30 minute break to allow for the CTV affiliates to broadcast the CTV National News. From 11:30PM local time on Saturday night to 5PM local time Sunday afternoon, the broadcast is uninterrupted. In recent years, the broadcast has ended with a 7-minute+ version of The Beatles' With a Little Help from My Friends sung by the entire national cast, followed by O Canada and a balloon and confetti drop during which time all the volunteers take to the stage to celebrate.

Annual Totals

Telemiracle's website doesn't display the annual totals and they don't set annual goals, but their FAQ notes that the telethon has raised [http://www.telemiracle.com/default.asp?id=24&mnu=24&page=1 over $68 million] since its inception in 1977 through Telemiracle 30 in 2006. With the addition of the record-setting $5.6 million raised by Telemiracle 31 in 2007, the all-time total raised neared $74,000,000. The 2008 total of $3,648,310 brought the collective total to well in excess of $77 million.

Notable Guests

National and International

*Barra MacNeils - Celtic and folk band from the Maritimes
*Billy Barty - "B-Movie" Legend, Stage and Film Actor (a Telemiracle regular up to the time of his death)
*Lisa Brokop - Country music singer/songwriter
*John Allan Cameron - Canadian Folk singer
*Burton Cummings - Singer-songwriter, musician, and former band member of the The Guess Who
*Blake Emmons - Singer and TV host
*Adam Gregory - Canadian country singer/songwriter
*Justin Hines - Canadian pop singer
*Irish Rovers - Celtic and folk group
*Arte Johnson - Laugh-In cast member
*Gloria Loring - Singer, actress
*Beverley Mahood - Canadian country singer
*Bob McGrath - Sesame Street cast member
*Jason McCoy - Canadian singer/songwriter
*Frank Mills - Pianist
*Jim Perry - former game show host
*Johnny Reid - Country musician
*Lloyd Robertson - CTV National News anchor
*Alan Thicke - Actor and game show host
*Michelle Wright - Canadian country singer
*The Arrogant Worms - Canadian band
*Bobby Curtola - Canadian Rock and Roll singer
*Lawrence Gowan - Canadian singer
*Paul Brandt - Canadian singer/songwriter

askatchewan Guests

*Sheldon Bergstrom - Singer/actor
*Carrie Catherine - Saskatoon-born singer.
*HOJA - Canadian a cappella quartet
*Colin James - Regina-born Canadian Blues Legend
*Brad Johner - Country musician
*Connie Kaldor - Singer, Songwriter, Children's Author
*Alvin Law - A man with no arms who is also a motivational speaker
*Tyler Lewis - 2006 Canadian Idol finalist
*Andrea Menard - Actor, Singer, Songwriter
*Kyle Riabko - Saskatoon guitarist, singer and songwriter
*Saskatchewan Express - A group of young singers and performers
*Streetnix - A cappella quartet
*Theresa Sokyrka - 2004 Canadian Idol runner up
*Tom Jackson - Aboriginal singer and actor

ee also

*Kin Canada
*Hal Rogers

References

External links

* [http://www.telemiracle.com/ Telemiracle website]
* [http://www.saskin.ca/default.asp Saskatchewan Kin website]
* [http://www.kincanada.ca/ Kin Canada website]
* [http://www.bursary.ca/ Kin Canada Bursaries website]
* [http://www.kincanada.ca/about/kinfoundation/ Kin Canada Foundation website]