630 CHED has been recognized with the Prairie Region RTDNA award for News – Live Events for Santas Day in support of 630 CHED Santas Anonymous.
“Winning a regional award of this nature is a testament to creativity, hard work and dedication on the part of all radio and TV staffers at Corus Entertainment,” John Vos, regional program director for Corus Alberta said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many fundraisers, including ones run by 630 CHED, had to be cancelled because of gathering limits. The annual on-air auction didn’t make sense in its traditional format as many of the prizes are experiences that would have been impossible to do.
In an effort to still ensure every child received a gift at Christmas, 630 CHED and Santas employees pivoted the annual auction to a fundraiser that lasted all day and wove through all shows.
“This effort turned into one of those moments for 630 CHED where everything came into place to do something really outstanding for 630 CHED Santas Anonymous.”
The fundraising effort raised $283,690.
“Santas Day did an amazing job of taking 630 CHED’s listeners and our supporters on an emotional journey of understanding how something as simple as a toy package can have a profound impact on not only the child receiving it, but the entire family and the volunteers participating in the process,” Santas executive director Angel Benedict said.
“The awareness and funds raised that day have been invaluable for 630 CHED Santas Anonymous and the thousands of children we helped last year.”
The RTDNA awards are presented by the Radio Television Digital News Association Canada and recognize the best of broadcasting across Canada in the West, Prairie, Central and East categories.
The winners of the regional awards go on to compete for the national awards against the other three regions.