Over $240,000 was raised during Global News Radio 770 CHQR’s annual Pledge Day radiothon on Friday.
The money raised goes to the Calgary Children’s Foundation which helps out small children’s charities in the Calgary area.
“For us to hit this, and to be able to get people to donate, there’s a real undercurrent of generosity in this city,” said foundation chair John Vos.
The 13-hour radiothon happens on the first Friday of December each year.
The 2019 event featured appearances from Calgary’s mayor, the police chief, Calgary Stampeders alumni and local businesses.
“We have really found our way in being big and helping the small,” Vos said. “There’s so many small initiatives and charities in the city and they don’t have the wherewithal — they don’t have the ability to raise money or funds, so we’ve stepped into that gap.”
In 2019, the foundation granted funds to 30 children’s charities, with grants ranging from $1,000 to $20,000.