The 54th-Annual Easter Seals Telethon to Support Children With Disabilities Hits the Air On March 22

The 54th-annual Easter Seals Telethon fundraiser to support children with physical disabilities is set for March 22, announced at Lansdowne Place on Wednesday morning.

(From left to right) Stuart Harrison, Easter Seals Telethon host; Zoe Gibbbons, Easter Seals Ontario Ambassador for Peterborough-Durham and Sarah-Lynn Gibbons, Zoe’s mother. The Gibbons were active partipants in the 40th annual Carl Oake Rotary Swim on Friday morning. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Proceeds go towards Easter Seals Ontario so that children and youth with physical disabilities have access to the tools and opportunities they need to thrive. The Telethon airs live from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on YourTV and Global Peterborough. The Telethon brings together stories, community voices and fundraising efforts to support Easter Seals kids across the region.

This year’s Easter Seals Ambassador (representing Peterborough-Durham) is seven-year-old Zoe Gibbons from Ajax. This is her second year participating in Easter Seals Ontario but her first as an ambassador.

Zoe was born with a rare condition known as congenital disorder of glycosylation type 2 (CDG Type-2) at birth and requires a wheelchair for mobility. She was the 49th person in the world to be given the diagnosis, according to her mother, Sarah-Lynne Gibbons.

“That's when the sugars and proteins, that mechanism is broken on one of her X chromosomes so there's a 50/50 chance that it can affect every system and organ in her body,” she explained.

Zoe uses her eyes and a Tobii Dynavox communication device to interact with others.

“There's heat sensors on the bottom so if she focuses on something long enough (like on one of the boxes), then it speaks out loud,” said Sarah-Lynn. “It's really cool. It took a really long time for us to advocate because it's one of those things that's hard to get covered but we did and we haven't stopped chatting since.”

The Gibbons were recipients of the Incontinence Grant through Easter Seals Ontario which is awarded to families with children who are diapered at the age of three and beyond.

“They also help with camps for all abilities and equipment so equipment that isn't covered by the government comes with a heavy price tag,” said Sarah-Lynne.

@ptbo_canada The 54th-annual Easter Seals Telethon is set for March 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.! Proceeds are for Easter Seals Ontario for children with physical disabilities access to tools and opportunities to thrive. #ptbocanada #journalism #fyp #news #eastersealscanada ♬ original sound - PTBOCanada

Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP and Jeff Leal, Peterborough mayor, were in attendance for the launch. Leal had declared March to be Easter Seals Month in the City of Peterborough.

Throughout the month, Easter Seals Ontario invites the community to several fundraising events. This includes the Boston Pizza Celebrity Serving Event (1164 Chemong Rd.) on Sunday and the Peterborough Petes Alumni Celebrity Hockey Classic on March 12 at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

“It's amazing to see the community to come together the way it does and for everyone to show up, it's pretty incredible,” she said.

Donations can be made online.

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53rd Easter Seals Telethon Looking to Raise $100,000 With Live Event For March 23

The 53rd Easter Seals Telethon fundraiser is aiming to raise $100,000 for children with physical disabilities with their live event broadcasting on March 23 on YourTV and Global Peterborough from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., announced at Lansdowne Place on Thursday morning.

Stu Harrison, Easter Seals Telethon honest (left), talks to Mitchell McMcoll (middle) and Yvonne McColl about how Easter Seals has benefitted their family. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Mayor Jeff Leal was in attendance and proclaimed March to be Easter Seals Month in Peterborough.

Stu Harrison is returning as Telethon host and Graham Hart, former CHEX TV on-air personality, is doing his 51st Telethon.

Easter Seals is its 103rd year with the 53rd as a fundraiser. Proceeds provide support for children and youth with physical disabilities. This includes mobility and accessibility equipment, communication devices and attending summer camps.

“I honestly call the Telethon a legacy event,” said Jenn Bheemsingh, Easter Seals community engagement officer. “Easter Seals is such a signature event, especially in this community. In Ontario, we're doing the Telethons all across the regions but Peterborough, you guys are expecting the Telethon to come, it's a great community-based event. 

The televised event celebrates success stories, showcases Easter Seals kids and their families and recognizes donors and sponsors.

“We're going to be showcasing a lot of the Peterborough families that are in the area,” said Bheemsingh. “We've got over 75 families that we serve just to Easter Seals alone so we're hoping to have quite a few of the families come in, share their stories and see their journeys.”

Supporters can donate during the Telethon or at anytime online.

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52nd Easter Seals Telethon Kicks Off With Live Event For March 24; Higher Ambitions With $100,000 Goal Set

The 52nd Easter Seals Telethon fundraiser has kicked off for March with their live event broadcasting on March 24 on YourTV and Global Peterborough from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

(From left to right) The Growdens Tara, Teddy, Dan and Ambassador Sawyer sharing a moment as the 52nd Easter Seals Telethon Kicks Off. Sawyer is returning as a regional ambassador after being announced as a new one last year. She was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder which affects the 15th chromosome. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The announcement was made at Lansdowne Place with Deputy Mayor Joy Lachica proclaiming March to be Easter Seals Month in Peterborough.

Telethon host Stu Harrison is returning as well as Graham Hart, celebrating his 50th year volunteering. Actress Linda Kash and Energy Morning Show’s Brian Young are hosting the Wheelchair Challenge where small teams come on the Telethon to contact everyone they know for donations.

”They're calling and reaching out to their contacts list of corporate supporters, family members, employers, that kind of thing and basically drumming more donations for us,” Coralie Jacobs of Easter Seals Ontario “It's sort of a neat and little competitive little edge to the show.”

Easter Seals is its 102nd year with the 52nd and is a fundraiser that provides support for children and youth with physical disabilities. The televised event celebrates success stories, showcases Easter Seals kids and their families, recognizes donors and sponsors.

Jacobs credits everyone involved in the event and/or its promotion on why the event has been successful for over a century.

“A lot of that has to do with who's involved with it and they're putting the word out for us,” she explained. “It's really valuable for people to understand and help them understand what it is that we're doing.”

For the 52nd edition of the Telethon, a goal of $100,000 was set, an increase of $80,000 in years prior.

“We've never had that as our goal, it's always been 80,” said Jacobs. “We're very good at exceeding 80 and I'm comfortable with that but this year I thought, 'you know what, let's go for it,' 100 grand, I know this community can do it.”

Also returning to the Telethon is regional ambassador and seven-year-old Sawyer Grace Growden who has Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder which affects the 15th chromosome. She uses a wheelchair and a walker to help with her mobility.

“She loves the attention, loves being on camera,” said Dan Growden, Sawyer’s father. “You can tell by the laughing and giggling that she loves to be here.”

Last year, the family participated in the Easter Seals Family Camp and have already applied to participate for 2024. The camp gives families an opportunity to meet other families, have an accessible family vacation with overnight camping. The camp has a wide range of programs that are geared to various age groups for families to partake in.

“It was an incredible experience to be there as a family, meet other families,” said Dan. “Teddy got to meet siblings of other kids with physical disabilities so it just a great time all around.”

Supporters can donate during the Telethon or at anytime online.

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Easter Seals Kick Off The 51st Peterborough Telethon; Announcing New Regional Ambassador

The 51st annual Peterborough Easter Seals Telethon kicked off at the Lansdowne Place Mall on Thursday; announcing Sawyer Grace Growden as the new regional ambassador.

the growden’s: dan (left), sawyer (middle) and tara (right). photo by Felicia Massey.

After a couple of virtual years, Easter Seals were able to gather again in-person to launch the 2023 Telethon.

The annual Easter Seals Telethon celebrates success stories, showcases Easter Seals kids and their families, recognizes donors and sponsors, and raises funds for children and youth with physical disabilities for the last 51 years. For the past 101 years, Easter Seals has played an important role in providing support for children and youth with physical disabilities.

Easter Seals continues to offer programs to enable kids to experience freedom, independence and a sense of accomplishment. Easter Seals helps by providing financial assistance for mobility equipment, communication devices and summer camp opportunities.

Jeff Richards from Country 105 / Move FM emceed the kick-off event; announcing this year’s goals and sharing updates on past ambassador Ryerson Beardmore. The month of March was also declared Easter Seals Month by Mayor Jeff Leal.

Telethon host Catherine Hanrahan introduced new regional ambassador, 6-year-old Sawyer Grace Growden. Growden has Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder which affects the 15th chromosome.

“She is missing the part of her chromosome that affects all the things we take for granted on a daily basis. Things like walking, eating, and all those self-care things,” said Sawyer’s mom Tara Growden. “She works so hard everyday to overcome all those challenges, she is just such a happy little girl.”

Sawyer uses a wheelchair and a walker to help with her mobility. Her dad, Dan Growden, says that she is learning to use an iPad to help communicate.

The Growden’s mentioned that they are looking to attend the Easter Seals Family Camp.

“(We’re excited) to go to a place and be around people who get it, and to not have to worry about accessibility for a hot minute,” said Tara.

This year the Easter Seals will be visiting with familiar faces, past ambassadors, and local celebrities of the past 51 telethons as part of the March 26 fundraiser.

The 2023 Easter Seals Telethon will be broadcasting live on March 26 on YourTV and Global Peterborough from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Supporters can donate online and local residents are encouraged to select the Peterborough webpage.

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March Declared "Easter Seals Month" In Celebration Of Peterborough Telethon's 50th Anniversary

Ahead of the 50th Peterborough Easter Seals Telethon, March has been declared “Easter Seals Month” in a virtual media conference held on Thursday morning.

Kevin Collins, Easter Seals president and CEO on the virtual meeting telling his experiences of having cerebral palsy and using a walker to navigate. Screenshot.

The declaration was made by Coun. and deputy mayor Kemi Akapo shortly after the meeting had opened.

The Telethon will be broadcasted on April 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. on YourTV and Global News but the campaign is currently seeking donations with a goal of $80,000.

They can be made online, phoning in on the Telethon or by emailing Coralie Jacobs, Easter Seals manager of development at cjacobs@easterseals.org.

The raised funds from the telethon provide financial assistance for communication devices, mobility equipment and summer camp opportunities for youth with physical disabilities.

Easter Seals will virtually announce their goal on Thursday and check in with past ambassadors and local notables.

Guests include Akapo; Kevin Collins, Easter Seals president and CEO; Stu Harrison; Graham Hart; Mike Melnik; Teresa Kazsuba; Catherine Hanrahan and Caley Bedore.

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Easter Seals Hits Two Milestones For Upcoming Telethon

On their 100th anniversary, the 50th Easter Seals Telethon kicks off its fundraising campaign to provide support for children and youth with physical disabilities beginning Thursday.

Easter Seals Telethon hosts from 2019. Photo courtesy of Easter Seals Peterborough.

The Telethon will be broadcasted on April 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. on YourTV and Global News but the campaign is currently seeking donations.

Easter Seals will virtually announce their goal on Thursday and check in with past ambassadors and local notables. Guests include Deputy Mayor Kemi Akapo; Kevin Collins, Easter Seals CEO; Stu Harrison; Graham Hart; Mike Melnik; Teresa Kazsuba; Catherine Hanrahan and Caley Bedore.

The raised funds provide financial assistance for mobility equipment, communication devices and summer camp opportunities for youth with physical disabilities.

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Easter Seals Telethon Triumphs Through Adversity and Raises Over $92,000

After having to postpone this year’s telethon, the Easter Seals Telethon raised over $92,000 on Sept. 26.

Easter Seals Telethon hosts from 2019. Photo courtesy of Easter Seals Peterborough.

Due to COVID-19, this year had hosts standing alone in the studio with pre-recorded visits with the kids.

The event’s hosts included Stu Harrison, Graham Hart, Mike Melnik, Teresa Kazsuba, Catherine Hanrahan and Caley Bedore.

“With a significantly reduced volunteer team, and a handful of hosts, we hosted the 49th Easter Seals Telethon in Peterborough last weekend and it was a huge success,” said Coralie Jacobs, Easter Seals Manager of Development, Eastern Ontario. “Our host team did an amazing job of sharing the stories of our families and Easter Seals kids and making the ask on their behalf, and the phones started ringing and didn’t stop.”

Ryerson Beardmore took the spotlight as the Easter Seals Peterborough ambassador for the second year.

Easter Seals Ontario has received record-high numbers in requests for equipment funding for children with disabilities.

“This has been a difficult 18 plus months for a lot of us, but for children with physical disabilities and their families the challenges have truly been extraordinary,” said Jacobs. “The ongoing lockdowns, restrictions, and delays have meant there are still so many children living at home without the essential equipment that would provide them with greater dignity as well as safety in the home for both the kids and their caregivers.”

To donate to the Easter Seals click here.

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Provincial Charity Awards Peterborough Commerce President Prestigious Award

With over 43 years of service for Easter Seals Canada, Stu Harrison has been given the National Volunteer Award for Ontario on Wednesday.

PTBOCanada releases StoosNews and his Business Beat every week. File Photo.

The award celebrates outstanding volunteers from across Canada according to the press release. Harrison is one of eight recognized volunteers who has dedicated their time and skills to help make Canada a more inclusive society for people of all abilities.

Harrison is the president and CEO of Peterborough Chamber of Commerce who features his weekly Business Beat called StoosNews — which you can find here on PTBOCanada — has helped the Easter Seals Telethon since 1978.

The longtime dedication to the charity has been considered an honour on both sides says Harrison.

“While I really enjoy the committee work leading up to the annual Telethon,” he said. “I see my role as getting to know the families and telling their story in a way that they are comfortable with. The icing on the cake is watching the kids grow up and find their way in life.”

Harrison has been president of the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce for over 16 years. File Photo.

The press release praises Harrison for his hard work, dedication and developing a real connection with all the kids who benefit from the charity.

“Stu is also very much loved by Easter Seals kids - their faces light up with huge smiles when they see that Stu is there! The kids and families also enjoy catching up with Stu as he is a familiar face each year,” according to the release. “Stu has watched many of the kids grow into amazing young adults. You can clearly see the connections and relationships that have been forged over the years and the mutual admiration on set each year.”

This year’s Easter Seals Telethon will be broadcasted live on June 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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All The Deets On The 30th Annual Easter Seals Telethon This Sunday

The 30th annual Easter Seal Telethon takes place this weekend and will be broadcast live from Lansdowne Place Mall and CHEX TV studio’s this Sunday, March 3rd, on CHEX TV and TV Cogeco from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The annual Telethon provides an opportunity to get to know some Easter Seals families from the community and hear their stories, including local Easter Seals Ambassador, 8-year-old Aidan Cameron from Cobourg.

In addition, the Telethon will celebrate the year’s fundraising successes, recognize generous supporters, and raise essential funds that help children with physical disabilities and their families who need assistance.

“When you have a child with a physical disability, everyday can be a challenge,” said Coralie Jacobs, Senior Development Officer, Easter Seals Ontario. “The Telethon gives us a glimpse into the lives of Easter Seals families and how donations from our supporters make such a big difference in the quality of life for their child.”

Donations can be called into the show live throughout the broadcast to 705-874-2121 or 855-239-3972, or can be made online at Eastersealstelethon.org. Also follow along on Twitter @eastersealsptbo and the hashtag #telethon2013 on Twitter.

[EasterSealsTelethon.org]

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