What happens when world-class medical care meets state-of-the-art entertainment? A check for $1.23 million dollars is written.
KISS 106.1 FM recently held its sixth-annual One Big Kiss for Chil-dren's Hospital radiothon, raising more than $1 million to provide for the patients treated at Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in North Seattle.
"The hospital is very appreciative of the KISS listeners," said Eve Kopp, associate director of the Children's Hospital Foundation. "Without them, we wouldn't have been able to broadcast our needs to the community."
AN 'EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE'
KISS 106.1 - which plays current top pop, rock and R&B hits - is one of Seattle's more-popular radio stations, attracting a whole range of listeners from pre-teens to adults.
The radio station joined forces with Children's Hospital six years ago, under the umbrella of the Children's Miracle Network, which has hosted these radiothons across the nation for the last 12 years. KISS' morning DJs, Jackie and Bender, became the central figures for the fund-raiser -broadcasting from the hospital's cafeteria - and have been successful in raising more and more money each year for the hospital.
And what a hospital it is. Seattle Children's Hospital has continually been voted as one of the best children's hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. It serves as the pediatric referral center for Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho and delivers pediatric care in accordance with the University of Washington School of Medicine.
"The radiothon is always an emotional experience for me," Jackie said. "Listening to all the stories by patients and their families is sometimes sad."
Over the course of the radiothon, Jackie and Bender spoke with many different patients and families about their struggles with illness and how Children's made a difference in their lives. "If it wasn't for Children's, my son would have died," one parent told them.
Jackie said that by the end of the radidothon, she felt "amazing" that she and Bender were really able to help: "I always feel good about the radiothon once it wraps up."
FROM THE LISTENERS TO THE HOSPITAL
The radiothon's proceeds go directly to benefit the hospital's greatest needs. "If there is a specific department that has a dire need that week or quarter, the funds would be given to that department," Kopp said.
KISS and Children's Hospital heartily thank the listeners who contributed to the radiothon. "The stories really touched people," Jackie said, "and that is why this radiothon was such a success."[[In-content Ad]]
