Telemiracle

Telemiracle

Logo for Telemiracle 33 held on March 7 & 8, 2009 in Saskatoon, SK
Genre Telethon
Presented by Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation
Opening theme You are the Miracle by Brad Johner and Donny Parenteau
Ending theme O Canada
Country of origin Canada
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 39 (as of 2015)
Production
Location(s) Saskatoon or Regina
(alternating)
Running time 20 hours (with 30-minute break for national news)
Broadcast
Original channel CTV Saskatchewan (1977-present)
CBC Saskatchewan (1977-?)
Original run 1977 – Present
External links
Website

Telemiracle is an annual telethon organized by the Kinsmen and Kinettes in Saskatchewan, Canada for the benefit of the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation. Initially broadcast on both CTV and CBC affiliates in Saskatchewan, it is now broadcast, commercial-free, exclusively on the province's CTV affiliates. Generally broadcast the first weekend of March, the 39th edition took place in Saskatoon on March 7 and 8, 2015.

History

One of the many totals during the telethon

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. So instead, they came up with the idea for a telethon. In 1977, 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 the $3 million mark in 2001. Telemiracle has exceeded the $4 million mark seven times and $5 million four times, most recently in 2014.

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.

Bob McGrath, a regular fixture on Telemiracle for over 30 years, was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan for this work by the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, Lynda Haverstock, on March 3, 2006.[1] He announced during the 2015 telethon that it would be his last.

Telemiracle 31 (2007), the first telethon to exceed the $5,000,000 pledge total, broke all previous records, with an official final total of $5,604,682. This record was shattered in 2012 (Telemiracle 36) with a final total of $5,906,229. A $1.4 million bequest—the largest pledge, bequest or otherwise, in the telethon's history—contributed to the 2012 total.

A scheduling mixup 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 the usual setup time was not available. Telemiracle was held in Saskatoon for 3 consecutive years. The telethon returned to Regina in 2010.[2]

Format

Telemiracle brings in many volunteers from across Canada.

Shown annually on CTV affiliates, the broadcast starts at 9 pm local time on the first Saturday in March (though for the first half of its history, it was scheduled in February). The broadcast goes live to the host auditorium, where members of the national cast are introduced.

The previous theme was Mike + The Mechanics' 1986 hit "All I Need is a Miracle", it was replaced in 2011 with You are the Miracle by Brad Johner and Donny Parenteau.

At 11 pm 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 11:30 pm local time on Saturday night to 5 pm local time Sunday afternoon, the broadcast is uninterrupted. The broadcast always concludes with O Canada and a balloon and confetti drop during which time some of the volunteers take to the stage to celebrate; up through 2010, a rendition of With a Little Help from My Friends was included with the closing festivities.

For the first time in 2009 the show went to other various locations in Saskatchewan outside of Saskatoon or Regina. It went to many of the smaller towns and cities across the province showcasing what the local residents have done to raise money. The practice continued in 2010.

Telemiracle was streamed online on CTV's website for the first time in 2010.

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 raised over $81 million [3] in its first 33 years since its inception in 1977, and over $107 million through Telemiracle 38 in 2014, an amount that includes the $5,604,682 raised by Telemiracle 31 in 2007 and record-setting $5,906,229 at Telemiracle 36 in 2012.

At the 37th Telemiracle in 2013, the Kinsmen and Kinettes were proud to announce that the lifetime total for Telemiracle had surpassed 100 million dollars.

Telemiracle 32 and all odd-numbered Telemiracles were held in Saskatoon. All even-numbered Telemiracles, except for 32, were held in Regina.

Year Telemiracle Total
All-Time Total $111,668,893
2015 39 $4,312,457
2014 38 $5,285,744
2013 37 $5,546,712
2012 36 $5,906,229 (New single year record, surpassing 2007 total.)
2011 35 $4,635,768 [4]
2010 34 $4,010,314[5]
2009 33 $3,802,308
2008 32 $3,648,310
2007 31 $5,604,682
2006 30 $3,491,538
2005 29 $3,440,296
2004 28 $3,528,410
2003 27 $3,027,912
2002 26 $3,026,723
2001 25 $3,515,611
2000 24 $2,683,424
1999 23 $2,500,562
1998 22 $2,546,637
1997 21 $2,740,578
1996 20 $2,306,420
1995 19 $2,451,783[6]
1994 18 $2,126,734
1993 17 $2,114,688
1992 16 $2,003,610
1991 15 $1,825,092
1990 14 $1,803,177
1989 13 $1,965,721
1988 12 $2,470,577
1987 11 $2,085,785
1986 10 $2,004,367
1985 9 $2,012,424
1984 8 $1,920,215
1983 7 $2,010,120
1982 6 $1,902,480
1981 5 $1,800,924
1980 4 $1,551,837
1979 3 $1,401,422
1978 2 $1,443,092
1977 1 $1,214,210

Notable guests

National and international

Saskatchewan

See also

References

  1. ↑ News Releases - Government of Saskatchewan
  2. ↑ "Telemiracle returns to Regina in 2010". CJME.
  3. ↑ "Telemiracle FAQ". Telemiracle. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
  4. ↑ "Telemiracle is truly a miracle". CTV. 2011-03-06. Retrieved 2011-03-06. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  5. ↑ Grummett, Danny (2010-03-07). "Saskatchewan Performs Another Miracle". CJME. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
  6. ↑ "Saskatchewan Hansard" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. 1996-03-04.
  7. ↑ MacClean, Rory (March 5, 2011). "Telemiracle starts today, features Andrea Menard". The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan). Retrieved 03-10-11. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)

External links