On Friday, Dec. 14, WRAL-TV will broadcast its 30th Annual Coats for the Children Telethon, raising money to buy new, warm winter clothing and undergarments for Salvation Army children in need. Telethon operators will accept pledges from 6 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. The telethon includes a one-hour live special at 1 p.m. and a half-hour live special at 7 p.m.
In honor of The Salvation Army of Wake County and WRAL’s 30-year partnership with Coats for the Children, The Salvation Army of Wake County area commander Stephen Long is going to ring the bell at the red kettle at the Walmart in Holly Springs for 30-straight hours. He will ring the bell beginning Thursday, December 13 at 2:00 p.m. and end on Friday, December 14 at 8:00 p.m., when the Coats for the Children telethon concludes.
Also as part of the fun to celebrate 30 years, WRAL-TV Meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner will host live from the Western Blvd. Jiffy Lube location during the 1 p.m. special. She is inviting folks to stop by and donate a new toy or winter garments!
Fun incentives will be offered during the Telethon special to encourage donations. Several WRAL-TV anchors and most of our meteorologists will provide a tour of the station or WeatherCenter for generous donations. Another incentive includes hanging out with MIX’s Two Men and a Mom during their morning show! Another offer includes joining WRAL-TV Anchor Brian Shrader and Local Dish’s Lisa Prince while they shoot their special tasty recipes!
“Most important, we are raising money to help keep children warm and bring them some holiday joy,” said WRAL-TV Director of Local Production Phyllis Parish of the incentives. She produces the Telethon each year.
WRAL-TV’s Debra Morgan makes a plea for donations during WRAL’s Coats for the Children Telethon on Friday, December 8, 2017.
The recent snow and frigid temps are bringing the importance of winter coats for kids in need to the forefront.
How To Give
Credit card donations can be made online Nov. 17 through Dec. 31 by going to WRAL.com and searching keyword “Coats.” Use your phone to make a donation now! Text “Coats” to 41444 to make a debit/credit card gift of any amount. $125 is the “magic number” to completely outfit a child for the winter season.
Other information such as coat drop-off locations, participating Salvation Army branches, and general campaign details can also be found on WRAL.com.
When donating coats or new toys, tweet a selfie using #WRALCoats, then watch for yourself on TV during the Coats for the Children telethon on Dec. 14!
Since 1989, WRAL-TV has collected more than 162,500 coats and raised $2 million to provide winter clothing for Salvation Army families.
WRAL-TV thanks community partners Jiffy Lube and Chiesi Pharmaceuticals for their support of this project.
Thanks to WRAL-TV for contributions to this capcom story.
