WRAL-TV Raises $70,743 With Coats for Children Telethon

Two half-hour specials at 12:30pm & 7pm anchor the daylong WRAL’s Coats for the Children Telethon.

WRAL-TV’s 18th Annual Coats for the Children will go down in the history books as a huge success, bringing in $70,743.08 to help clothe needy Triangle children for the winter. Over $4,000 of the total came from donations on WRAL.com.

Several “thank you” items drew big pledges including including $500 for each of NC artist, Allen Montague’s impressionistic paintings which he painted one during each live specials). Several items from the Carolina Hurricanes brought in big bucks, too: $1000 for Erik Cole’s autographed hockey stick, $1000 for Eric Staal’s autographed hockey gloves and $1000 for Justin Williams’ autographed helmet!

WRAL-TV’s Bill Leslie (right) introduces artist Allen Montague and shows his work.

WRAL-TV Anchor Debra Morgan gets set for the next segment.

Volunteers answer calls, taking pledges from generous WRAL viewers.

“We have such a great team working on this project!” said WRAL-TV Senior Producer Phyllis Parish, producer of the Coats Telethon. “From News to Operations, Programming and Engineering, Coats is a real team effort. And our viewers are so generous! Each year, we ask them to help us reach out to children in need in our viewing area…they always come through as our new total exemplifies. The Salvation Army will be able to help hundreds of families purchase warm winter coats for the cold winter ahead.”

The entire WRAL crew works hard on the Coats Telethon specials.

Intense concentration etches the face of WRAL-TV Broadcast Technician Patrick Marrow.

Pledges came in over the phone and online at WRAL.com.

WRAL-TV’s Coats for the Children Campaign will continue through the end of December. New and gently used coats can be dropped off at the station and at various Jiffy Lube and Capital Bank locations in the WRAL viewing area. For a list, click here.

Viewers may still donate to the Salvation Army by going to WRAL.com. Click on the blue coat and make your credit card donation. If you donate $100, you’ll receive a very nice ‘thank you’ gift…Montague’s special print of Pullen Park’s Carousel.