In show business, “the show must go on,” and when a pandemic swept the globe, radio shows – and fundraising events – were no exception. Despite much uncertainty, when the time came to plan Mix 106.5’s 32nd Annual Radiothon benefitting Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, everyone’s creativity went into overdrive with one common goal: making Radiothon as successful as possible for the patients and families who need it most.
Mix 106.5’s new morning show hosts, Kramer and Jess, joined by veteran DJs Priestly, Maria Dennis from 101.9 WLIF and Jeremy Conn from 105.7 The Fan, held virtual interviews with Children’s Center patients and families to gear up for the event. While broadcasting from the hospital wasn’t an option this year, the DJs stayed connected during the two-day broadcast via Zoom, sharing stories on-air of the strength and resilience of the patients, families and care providers at the Children’s Center asking listeners to call in and donate.
A central theme in this year’s stories? There’s no place like home. While many people spent more time at home than ever this past year, patients and families at the Children’s Center would love nothing more than to be at home rather than in the hospital. From the teenager who had a traumatic longboarding accident to the parents whose daughter was born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, all echoed the same sentiment: if they couldn’t be at home, they were thankful for the care they received at the Children’s Center, made possible by funds raised through events like Radiothon.
When the time came to announce how much Baltimore and the surrounding community helped raise, patient families, care providers, and donors alike eagerly tuned into Facebook to watch the live card parade, which revealed the event’s second highest total ever raised: $1,328,335.32.
“In a time when the world was flipped upside down, life as we knew it was paused. I witnessed a city unite for a common cause – our sick kiddos and Miracle Makers at Johns Hopkins Children Center. With a new morning show and the recent passing of our beacon of light, Mo Gaba, we overcame what experts said would be impossible numbers in a virtual environment during times like this,” Priestly says. “We raised more than $1.3 million for Hopkins and restored faith and hope to a community who desperately needed it, as did I. It was pure magic! Hope in the face of adversity. #MoStrong.”
Save the date for Mix 106.5’s 33rd Annual Radiothon, Feb. 24 – 25, 2022.