Easter Seals Telethon returning to Peterborough airwaves

Kaydance Lane is ready for her close up.

“I’m really ready,” the nine-year-old said. “Last year I was a little bit nervous, but now I’m better because it’s my second year.”

Lane is returning for another year of representing Easter Seals in the Peterborough region. It also means she’ll be back in front of the cameras April 8 to help host the eight-hour Easter Seals Telethon, which raises funds to help children with physical disabilities.

Lane says she does it for kids like her.

“Yeah, I pretty much like helping people,” she said.

Kaydance has cerebral palsey. Her mom, April, said Easter Seals has stepped in to help when the family needed to pay for things like an accessible van, which can cost as much as $62,000.

“Home renovations, vehicle modifications, equipment, wheelchairs, walkers, anything like that is extremely expensive,” she said.

Easter Seals also gave Kaydance the chance to go to summer camp last year. April described it as a chance for Kaydance to make new friends, try out new things and spend some time away from people who were constantly hovering over her.

“Definitely she came home and had much more confidence, just being away from Mom and Dad for five days, just being with other people,” April said with a laugh.

Last year’s telethon raised just over $113,000. The fundraising goal was $80,000, which is also this year’s goal.

Easter Seal’s Senior Development Officer Coralie Jacobs said she’s confident they’ll hit their target.

“People see the intensity, they understand the need that’s ongoing for these kids and Peterborough continues to impress me, they step up to the bar and we rise above,” she said. “So $80,000, although it’s a big number, I think we’re going to smash it, and I look forward to doing that.”

The Easter Seals Telethon runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 8, on YourTV and CHEX TV.