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2017 Mediathon

MIX 101.5 and WRAL-TV Beat Heat For Successful Mediathon for BackPack Buddies

  • Andrea Osborne
  • July 21, 2017
  • News
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2017 Mediathon
WRAL-FM’s Two Men (Kyle Smelser, left, and Bryan Lord) collect donations at the Triangle Town Center drop-off location for the 2017 WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 Mediathon for the BackPack Buddies.

Much like the summer heat, WRAL-TV viewers and MIX 101.5 listeners kept the phone lines and Triangle parking lots hot on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, bringing in donations during the stations’ second annual Mediathon for the BackPack Buddies.  The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle worked with the Big 5 and WRAL-FM to help keep hungry kids fed. The day saw more than $188,000 raised to support the IFFS’s successful BackPack Buddies program, as well as over 2 tons of food items collected.

“What a great team effort,” said WRAL-FM Promotions Director Jason Newton.  “It’s always our responsibility to have great customer service, and appreciate everyone who took the time to donate, but I keep hearing, ‘No thank you, for what you are doing’.  The praises were nice to receive, which only further proved the team efforts do make an impact in community.”

MIX 101.5 personalities collected donations of non-perishable food items and backpacks at two locations.  Two Men and a Mom’s morning personalities went head to head to compete to collect the most.  Team Mom, headed by WRAL-FM’s Sarah King, manned the Lake Boone Shopping Center location near Food Lion, while Team Men, her morning co-hosts Bryan Lord and Kyle Smelser collected at the Triangle Town Center.

“I am so proud of our listeners!” said King.  “The Triangle never ceases to surprise me. Their capacity to put themselves in other people shoes and then turn that empathy into generosity is a beautiful thing, and I am so very grateful to be a part of it!”

2017 Mediathon
WRAl-TV’s Monica Laliberte accepts a donation from Syngenta for the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle during the 2017 WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 Mediathon for BackPack Buddies.

WRAL-TV got in on the action, hosting a daylong phone bank in Studio A, including live reports during the day’s newscasts and a special after the noon news and another at 7pm.  The Big 5 pulled out a secret weapon to help motivate viewers to give.  WRAL-TV Five On Your Side Executive Producer Monica Laliberte brought along her service-dog-in-training, Bongo, to help plea for donations.

“We always hear about groups taking trips to exotic places to feed hungry children,” she said.  “Many of us just don’t think enough about the thousands of children right here in the Triangle who go hungry! It’s beyond sad. The BackPack Buddies program is such an awesome and easy way to help.  And Bongo—who will do ANYTHING for a food-related cause— did an awesome job helping out!”

WRAL-TV Director of Local Production Phyllis Parish produced the half-hour specials and coverage in Studio A.

“Our Mediathon was a wonderful example of collaboration between MIX101.5, WRAL-TV, and WRAL.com,” she said.  “From 6am to 7:30pm, when you walked into Studio A, you could feel the energy! Everyone was excited about raising money to help families who need nutritious meals.”

Thanks to all the generous MIX 101.5 listeners and WRAL-TV viewers who came through to bring donations and make monetary contributions during the 2017 Mediathon!

Thanks to WRAL-FM’s Jason Newton, WRAL-TV’s Phyllis Parish & WRAL-TV’s Wendy Gatlin for these capcom photos.

2017 Mediathon
Thank You! From WRAl-TV & MIX 101.5 to all the viewers & listeners who donated during the 2017 Mediathon for BackPack Buddies.
2017 Mediathon
WRAL-FM’s Jim Kelly & Sarah King collect their first donation of the day at the Lake Boone Shopping Center to start the 2017 WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 Mediathon for BackPack Buddies.
2017 Mediathon
WRAL-FM’s Jim Kelly & Sarah King collect their first donation of the day at the Lake Boone Shopping Center to start the 2017 WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 Mediathon for BackPack Buddies.
2017 Mediathon
WRAL-FM’s Jim Kelly & Sarah King collect their first donation of the day at the Lake Boone Shopping Center to start the 2017 WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 Mediathon for BackPack Buddies.
2017 Mediathon
MIX 101.5’s “Mom” Sarah King (center) greets two special visitors at Food Lion — MIX Kyle Smelser’s wife, Sarah (left), and MIX Bryan Lord’s fiancé, Kate (right), who both brought donations for the 2017 MIX 101.5/WRAL-TV Mediathon for BackPack Buddies.
2017 Mediathon
MIX 101.5’s “Mom” Sarah King (center) greets two special visitors at Food Lion — MIX Kyle Smelser’s wife, Sarah, and MIX Bryan Lord’s fiancé, Kate, who both brought donations for the 2017 MIX 101.5/WRAL-TV Mediathon for BackPack Buddies.
2017 Mediathon
MIX 101.5 and WRAL-TV host a daylong Mediathon for BackPack Buddies on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, collecting donations at two locations including the Triangle Town Center.
2017 Mediathon
BIG Mike challenged all of Knightdale to step up and support the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle#BackPackBuddies programs. Plus he gave big and got to crank up the Carolina Hurricanes siren!#TeamMen
2017 Mediathon
MIX 101.5 listeners bring donations to the Triangle Town Center drop-off location for the 2017 WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 Mediathon for the BackPack Buddies.
2017 Mediathon
Kyle Smelser, from WRAL-FM’s Two Men & a Mom, collects donations at the Triangle Town Center drop-off location for the 2017 WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 Mediathon for the BackPack Buddies.
2017 Mediathon
WRAL-FM’s Two Men (Kyle Smelser, left, and Bryan Lord) collect donations at the Triangle Town Center drop-off location for the 2017 WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 Mediathon for the BackPack Buddies.
2017 Mediathon
MIX 101.5 listeners bring donations to the Triangle Town Center drop-off location for the 2017 WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 Mediathon for the BackPack Buddies.
2017 Mediathon
William Winslow, The Food Drive Kid, stopped by #TeamMom headquarters at Food Lion for the 2017 WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 Mediathon for BackPack Buddies and saw WRAL-FM’s Jim Kelly! William is only 11 years old and has raised $11,000 for #BackPackBuddies THIS YEAR.
2017 Mediathon
William Winslow, The Food Drive Kid, stopped by #TeamMom headquarters at Food Lion for the 2017 WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 Mediathon for BackPack Buddies and saw WRAL-FM’s Jim Kelly! William is only 11 years old and has raised $11,000 for #BackPackBuddies THIS YEAR.
2017 Mediathon
2017 Mediathon
Michael & Son Services NC stopped by #TeamMen with a $5000 donation to MIX 101.5’s #BackPackBuddies Mediathon with WRAL TV! A big thank you to them — this event wouldn’t be possible without our amazing sponsors!
2017 Mediathon
WRAL-TV Social Media Manager Wendy Gatlin (right) posted this pic with WRAL-TV 5 On Your Side Executive Producer Monica Laliberte during the 2017 BackPack Buddies Mediathon. Gatlin said: “Backpack Buddies with my buddy Monica! So full of energy and passion. Love this woman!”
2017 Mediathon
From the 2017 WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 Mediathon for the BackPack Buddies: Kids in the background have learned to empower themselves in the kitchen. They are making parfaits for everyone this morning.
2017 Mediathon
WRAl-TV’s Monica Laliberte accepts a donation from Syngenta for the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle during the 2017 WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 Mediathon for BackPack Buddies.
2017 Mediathon
WRAL Bill Leslie presents the BackPack Buddies Mediathon total an hour before the noon news. The total for the 2017 event ended up over $188,000 thanks to generous WRALTV & MIX 101.5 viewers & listeners.
2017 Mediathon
Brigs Restaurant in Raleigh, one of many generous donors, brought in $2500 for Inter-Faith Food Shuttle during the 2017 WRAL TV/MIX 101.5 BackPack Buddies Mediathon.
WRAL-TV’s Monica Laliberte’s dog Bongo asks viewers to call to make a donation for the WRAL-TV/MIX 101.5 BackPackBuddies Mediathon.
2017 Mediathon
From WRAL-TV’s Phyllis Parish, producer of the Mediathon in WRAL-TV’s Studio A: What a day! This pic shows only part of the outstanding MIX 101.5 WRAL-FM WRAL TV Inter-Faith Food Shuttle #BackPackBuddies team. Together, we raised $188,000, collected 2+ tons of food (and growing!) for children who need what we take for granted…healthy meals each day. Thank you to our viewers and listeners. You’re generous. You care. You made a big difference today!
2017 Mediathon
Corp’s Pam White (left), WRAL-TV’s Tonya Faison and our entire WRAL Accounting team keep tabs on all of the BackPackBuddies donations coming in to benefit Inter-Faith Food Shuttle during the 2017 Mediathon.

 

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