Auction winner Jeremy Powers (l to r) gets to do the weather on the WBTV News at 10:00 with Anchor Molly Grantham & Meteorologist Eric Thomas. |
The event was a Charity Auction and Fundraiser for the first annual “March Forth with Hope Gala” at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The prize was a chance to try your hand at forecasting the weather LIVE on WBTV News at 10:00 on WJZY with Meteorologist Eric Thomas.
The March Forth With Hope Foundation helps to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation providing financial assistance to families battling cancer or other life-threatening diseases. The Foundation was established by Stuart and Shelby Stout in memory of their daughter, Hope Stout, shortly after she lost her courageous fight with cancer.
Hope was a bright, red headed, 12-year-old who had bone cancer. When the Make a Wish Foundation granted her an opportunity for a wish she decided that her wish was for the 155 kids waiting in the Make A Wish system get their wishes granted. It would cost 1 million dollars to grant those wishes and Hope was determined to make it happen.
Word spread throughout the Charlotte community and checks began to pour in, from $5.00 to $5,000. Hope’s wish was realized on January 16, 2004, less than three weeks after Hope passed away. The foundation was born and continues to raise money to grant wishes and help families throughout the year.
The most current fundraiser event was in February. A few weeks before, 10:00 News Anchor Molly Grantham and Meteorologist Eric Thomas came to WJZY VP/GM Shawn Harris and asked for permission to auction off the opportunity to forecast the weather LIVE with Eric during the news.
“I think it’s a terrific idea, let’s do it!” said Harris.
The highest bidder was Charlotte resident Jeremy Powers offering $4,500! It was the third highest auction item of the night!
Powers got his big break on Tuesday, March 9th, on the News at 10:00 and did an amazing job. It was all in a days work for Powers and it was all for a good cause.
When the auction ended tens of thousands of dollars had been raised to help families in our area. No grant through March Forth With Hope ever exceeds $5,000 per family so that one donation alone will help at least one child have their wish granted.
|
|
- Click here to watch Powers do the weather
|
Thanks to WJZY’s Angela Golden for this capcom story & to WBTV for these screen captures.
