Duke Children’s Hospital recently honored MIX 101.5 WRAL-FM for their years of partnership and fundraising with the annual MIX 101.5 Radiothon. Several staffers from WRAL-FM were on hand at the Duke Children’s Society Luncheon on Thursday, September 14, 2023, to receive the honor on behalf of the station.
The 2023 Duke Children’s Partner Award, the inaugural year for presenting the honor, recognized MIX 101.5 for 28 years of partnership through Radiothon and raising over $20 million to benefit the patients, families and staff at Duke Children’s Hospital.
WRAL-FM Asst Program Director/Music Director Jim Kelly has been part of Radiothon for 23 years. The annual event is dear to him for an important reason.
“Duke will always hold a special place in my heart since all 3 of my kids were born there,” he said. “They saved the life of my twins Aiden and Olivia after being born at 26 weeks. Any time that I am able to help give back, I jump at the chance.”
He said that the entire crew at MIX 101.5 deeply values getting behind the cause.
“For the staff, I think the fact that we are allowed to join with the Duke team year after year and help raise money for the kids at Duke Children’s is a true honor and a labor of love,” said Kelly. “Each person that works with Radiothon at MIX could probably tell you a different story about a family that has grown to be more than simply a patient at the hospital, but they have become a part of the MIX family. I love it and look forward to our 29th!”
Founded this year, the Duke Children’s Partner Award recognizes and honors their corporate partners who have “shown an exceptional commitment to furthering the Duke Children’s mission of providing the best medical care to every child. These organizations must be staunch advocates for Duke Children’s, aligning their social responsibility with our missions of world-class clinical care, pediatric research that saves lives, and provider education that will shape the pediatricians of tomorrow.”
The event took place at the Karsh Alumni & Visitor Center on the Duke University campus.
Thanks to WRAL-FM’s Jim Kelly for this CapCom photo.
MIX 101.5 received the 2023 Duke Children’s Partner Award at the Duke Children’s Society Luncheon on Thursday, September 14, 2023. Several staffers accepted the honor on behalf of the station (l to r): WRAL-FM’s Brian Grube, Kyle Smelser, Chris Edge, Jim Kelly, Sarah King & Bryan Lord with Dr. Ann Reed, Chair Department of Pediatrics Physician-in-Chief for Duke Children’s and K.C. Nelson, Chair,, the Duke Children’s National Leadership Council.
