Tune in to the 38th annual Rainbow Connection Telethon Sunday, March 6
Looking for a good reason to tune in to the TV or log on the Internet this weekend? Between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, March 6, everyone can make a positive impact in the lives of more than 10,000 adults and children by tuning in to Cable TV 2 or logging on http://www.tusc-rainbowconnection.com to support the 38th annual Rainbow Connection Telethon. Spending the day in front of a TV or computer screen for this annual event holds great importance for disadvantaged area families and adults and children with special needs, and the Rainbow Connection is counting on local support to make this the best year ever.
Most popularly known as the Rainbow Connection, the Tuscarawas County Society for Children & Adults, Inc., is a nonprofit, independent health charity dedicated to meeting the needs of disadvantaged and disabled Tuscarawas County residents. In 2010, the Rainbow Connection provided $181,902 in total assistance to aid more than 10,000 county adults and children--assistance that would not have been possible without the contributions made by the community during the organization’s sole fundraiser, the annual telethon.
Tune in to the telethon to see children who have benefitted from Rainbow Connection’s help and to see local doctors, business leaders and neighbors hamming it up for a good cause. Hourly auction items will also be featured with more than 100 new items up for bid, including OSU autographed memorabilia, huge gift sets donated from Zoar and the Twin City area, a 32-inch Toshiba LCD TV, restaurant gift certificates, laptop computer, Pandora bracelet and much more.
According to Carmel A. Haueter, Rainbow Connection executive director, this year’s telethon is off to a great start with a record-number 47 corporate sponsors already participating, including President’s Circle sponsors Allied Machine & Engineering and Ember Complete Care and Chairman’s Circle sponsor Pipes Insurance Service, LTD. The 2010 telethon raised more than $170,000. “If we could get a dollar more than last year, that would be a great goal,” shared Haueter of her hopes for this year’s event. “We’re a small organization, and we’re going to operate on whatever the community can give us. We couldn’t exist without the generosity of the people who are right here in Tuscarawas County. We really appreciate all the support we get from the community.”
Haueter noted that donations in any amount are welcome, and residents can make monthly donations to fulfill a pledge if they’d like. “We have individuals who donate $2 every year, and $2 adds up just like anything else,” she explained.
With the cost of medications and medical equipment on the rise and the recession taking its toll, the services of Rainbow Connection are needed now more than ever. One hundred percent of the telethon donations benefit Tuscarawas County residents through the provision of medical supplies and equipment (the Rainbow Connection has purchased adaptive equipment for nearly every county school) and payment assistance for medical bills, prescriptions and adaptive technologies. But the Rainbow Connection’s reach doesn’t stop there, as the organization also provides programs to help children and adults with cancer, hearing impairments, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. “Every day people come in to our office to ask for help to pay for their medications,” shared Haueter. “During my 12 years as executive director, some types of insulin have tripled in cost.”
With so many county residents in need, there’s never been a better excuse to spend most of a Sunday in front of the TV or computer than to watch the Rainbow Connection Telethon. Those who can’t watch the telethon can make a donation by sending a check to the organization’s office at 123 South Wooster Ave., Dover 44622. For more information or to apply for assistance (only Tuscarawas County residents are eligible), visit http://www.tusc-rainbowconnection.com or call 330-343-8686.
Most popularly known as the Rainbow Connection, the Tuscarawas County Society for Children & Adults, Inc., is a nonprofit, independent health charity dedicated to meeting the needs of disadvantaged and disabled Tuscarawas County residents. In 2010, the Rainbow Connection provided $181,902 in total assistance to aid more than 10,000 county adults and children--assistance that would not have been possible without the contributions made by the community during the organization’s sole fundraiser, the annual telethon.
Tune in to the telethon to see children who have benefitted from Rainbow Connection’s help and to see local doctors, business leaders and neighbors hamming it up for a good cause. Hourly auction items will also be featured with more than 100 new items up for bid, including OSU autographed memorabilia, huge gift sets donated from Zoar and the Twin City area, a 32-inch Toshiba LCD TV, restaurant gift certificates, laptop computer, Pandora bracelet and much more.
According to Carmel A. Haueter, Rainbow Connection executive director, this year’s telethon is off to a great start with a record-number 47 corporate sponsors already participating, including President’s Circle sponsors Allied Machine & Engineering and Ember Complete Care and Chairman’s Circle sponsor Pipes Insurance Service, LTD. The 2010 telethon raised more than $170,000. “If we could get a dollar more than last year, that would be a great goal,” shared Haueter of her hopes for this year’s event. “We’re a small organization, and we’re going to operate on whatever the community can give us. We couldn’t exist without the generosity of the people who are right here in Tuscarawas County. We really appreciate all the support we get from the community.”
Haueter noted that donations in any amount are welcome, and residents can make monthly donations to fulfill a pledge if they’d like. “We have individuals who donate $2 every year, and $2 adds up just like anything else,” she explained.
With the cost of medications and medical equipment on the rise and the recession taking its toll, the services of Rainbow Connection are needed now more than ever. One hundred percent of the telethon donations benefit Tuscarawas County residents through the provision of medical supplies and equipment (the Rainbow Connection has purchased adaptive equipment for nearly every county school) and payment assistance for medical bills, prescriptions and adaptive technologies. But the Rainbow Connection’s reach doesn’t stop there, as the organization also provides programs to help children and adults with cancer, hearing impairments, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. “Every day people come in to our office to ask for help to pay for their medications,” shared Haueter. “During my 12 years as executive director, some types of insulin have tripled in cost.”
With so many county residents in need, there’s never been a better excuse to spend most of a Sunday in front of the TV or computer than to watch the Rainbow Connection Telethon. Those who can’t watch the telethon can make a donation by sending a check to the organization’s office at 123 South Wooster Ave., Dover 44622. For more information or to apply for assistance (only Tuscarawas County residents are eligible), visit http://www.tusc-rainbowconnection.com or call 330-343-8686.
Published: March 1, 2011
