When local viewers watch this year’s Franklin Regional Holiday Telethon, they will see four compelling reasons to consider donating to this year’s beneficiary, the UPMC Children’s Hospital Free Care Fund.
“We have documentary segments on four (Franklin Regional) families who have been helped through the Free Care Fund,” said high school multimedia teacher Becky Magness.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the telethon, which will be held Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is broadcast on Comcast local access Channel 19 and streamed on YouTube.
Over the years, students have raised more than $139,000 for groups ranging from the Westmoreland County Food Bank to Blountstown High School in Florida, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael in 2018.
Where other school districts fundraise over an extended period of time, the window for Franklin Regional students is much smaller.
“We basically have the month of December to do our fundraising,” Magness said.
Her broadcasting students will take the helm for the live broadcast, the first such experience for some.
“We do a ‘live taping’ of our morning news program but, if we mess something up, we can always go back and re-record it,” Magness said of the daily school broadcast. “But (for the live telethon, students are) working a soundboard, they’re working the cameras, they’re working off a script and they have to know the time that everything is happening.”
In addition to airing live performances, interviews and skits created by students, high school clubs and groups, Magness’ media students also crafted videos to air throughout the telethon.
“Most of them make a creative video of some sort,” Magness said. “I have a girl who filmed her little sister making a craft, which doesn’t sound that funny, but her sister is so charismatic that it’s hilarious. And, then, some of the kids will do a baking segment, like how to bake chocolate chip cookies.”
Telethon organizers also will air a special version of their “Fun Friday” broadcast, pitting a student against a virtual-reality boxer.
Magness said the telethon is a great learning experience for the students, and hopefully enjoyable for those tuning in at home.
“The live performances are what most people are watching for,” she said.
