The 59th WPSD Local 6-Area Lions Clubs Telethon of Stars—airing at 6:30 pm on Saturday, November 14th from the Carson Center in Paducah—will introduce a new name and an updated format, but its public appeal for financial donations to benefit mentally and physically challenged area children and adults remains unchanged.
Over its history, the Telethon has raised $24.5 million to support Easter Seal and other rehabilitation centers located in our 4-state region. It represents one of the most successful, longest running, locally produced telethons in America, and is telecasted over the nation’s 81st largest television market. It is also streamed live via its website at www.telethonofstars.org. Paducah Lions Club member, Bro. Richard Beck, senior pastor at Highland Baptist Church, will chair this year’s Telethon.
The event, now known as the “Celebration Concert,” will transition from a 15-hour overnight telethon format to a 4-hour Saturday night concert, featuring nationally-known talent, including country music singer, Lee Greenwood, Southern gospel trio, The Talleys, and original stars of the rock and roll era, The Chiffons, Johnny Tillotson, Brian Hyland and Shirley Alston Reeves, former lead singer with The Shirelles. Attendees can meet their favorite stars in the Carson Center’s lobby during a “Meet & Greet” following the concert.
Tickets for the concert range in price from $15, $25, $35 to $75. “Just because you buy a ticket does not mean you don’t need to make a generous donation,” Beck said, explaining that ticket sales are simply intended to offset increased production and entertainment costs to ensure the centers and their clients receive the greatest amount of funds raised.
Impressive door prizes will be presented throughout the televised concert. Those attending the event may elect to participate in door prize drawings by obtaining a separate ticket stub upon entering the Carson Center. Once a ticket number is drawn, the person possessing the winning ticket will be issued a voucher to claim their door prize at the Lions Clubs’s Control Center located in the Carson Center lobby. Any door prizes remaining unclaimed at the conclusion of the televised celebration concert will be forfeited and the door prize will be auctioned off during the “Meet & Greet” session.
Door prizes include six sets of lower arena tickets to various University of Kentucky men’s basketball games at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. One set is a pair of “Trustee Tickets” donated by Mark Bryant of Paducah, a member of the U.K. Board of Trustees. Two other sets are also “Trustee Tickets” donated anonymously. All three sets of “Trustee Tickets” are located near midcourt and are practically courtside. Another set is located across from the team bench and also practically courtside, and was donated by Marie Jackson in memory of her late husband, Dr. V.A. Jackson, who served as team physician under coaches Adolph Rupp and Joe B. Hall. The remaining sets of game tickets are general lower arena tickets donated by State Representative Gerald Watkins and Kentucky Court of Appeals Judge Shea Nickell, with his wife, Dr. Carolyn Watson.
Other great door prizes include two $125 gift cards donated by FNB Bank of Mayfield, a “Dinner, Show & Lodging” package donated by Patti’s Restaurant and the Badgett Theater in Grand Rivers, three sets of tickets to enjoy “Variety! Music, Memories & More” at the Badgett Theater, a one-night stay at the “Rose of the Lake” Bed & Breakfast in Grand Rivers, and a $100 gift card for fine dining at Di Fratelli’s in Paducah.
The Saturday night “Celebration Concert” will be followed by a 2-hour Sunday morning prerecorded Gospel concert, featuring Reggie LaFaye, Eric Horner, Nathan Herron, The Variety Southern Gospel Quartet, Steel Dove, and other local talent, including the Easter Seals West Kentucky Choir.
In explaining the changes, Beck noted televised telethons became popular following WWII, typically lasting many hours or days to raise money for charitable causes, and featuring heavy solicitations for financial pledges, tote boards tallying donations, and variety show style entertainment. However, because of changing societal realities, Beck said lengthy telethons have become a relic of a former television age, with most modern-day telethons having been distilled down to much shorter, albeit star-studded benefit concerts.
According to Beck, WPSD and Lions Clubs leaders realized in recent years that the local annual televised fundraising marathon was leaving television workers, volunteers, entertainers and the public increasingly exhausted, while pledges received during programming steadily decreased. All along, Beck pointed out most donations are received through pre and post Telethon giving, characterized by annual business and corporate payroll deductions, together with fundraising efforts by local Lions Clubs and other civic, school and church groups.
Beck encouraged everyone to attend this year’s new “Celebration Concert” and asked all individuals, businesses, school groups and churches to intensify fundraising efforts in coming weeks to ensure this year’s transition is successful. He noted “The real heroes of the Telethon have always been our faithful and generous donors.”
Telethon pledges may be made by calling the Lions Clubs phone bank at (855) 405-9379 November 14 and 15 anytime between 6:30 pm Saturday night until 1:00 pm Sunday afternoon. Donations may also be mailed to Telethon of Stars, c/o Independence Bank, PO Box 966, Paducah, KY, 42002-0966. As in the past, groups may also deliver donations to Lions Clubs members at the Carson Center during the concert.
Beck expressed appreciation to the leadership and staff at WPSD Local 6 in joining area Lions Clubs to make the difficult decision to change to a shorter, prime time concert format, and praised the television station for its commitment to make the 59th and next year’s 60th anniversary bigger and better.
Next year’s telethon concert will be chaired by Lion Nancy Sutton. All area businesses and corporations are encouraged to initiate a payroll deduction program allowing employees to authorize telethon donations to be withheld from wages. For more information, contact Beck, Sutton or any member of the Paducah Lions Club.