ESTEVAN - The Estevan Kinettes are putting in many hours, preparing for TeleMiracle 48, which will take place on Feb. 24 and 25 in Regina and raise funds for the Kinsmen TeleMiracle Foundation.
Local Kinnete Club members have a number of fundraisers underway.
Their fourth annual online auction, featured through the Estevan Kinettes Online Auction for TeleMiracle Facebook group, is Jan. 31-Feb. 3. Krissy Wallman, the TeleMiracle club rep, said the group almost doubled since last year and they also received almost twice as many donations this time around.
"There are 207 items on our auction this year, which is phenomenal. The response we got from the community was so great this year," Wallman shared. "Last year, we had 117, I believe, and before that, it was under 100."
On Feb. 2, Estevan Kinettes will also be at the Estevan Bruins game, selling helping hands, accepting donations and featuring some raffle items to be won. They are also doing a chuck-a-puck.
On the Feb. 19 Family Day, Kinettes, with support from Royal LePage Dream Realty, are hosting a movie day at the Orpheum Theatre. The day will feature Butterfly Tale. Admission is $2, and all proceeds will go towards the TeleMiracle total.
Until Feb. 20, the club is accepting recycling donations through SARCAN in Estevan, with the drop-and-go to be made out to the Estevan Kinette Club.
There are also coin boxes set up at Beatz Eatz, Fired Up Grill and Henders Drugs, and helping hands can be purchased at Henders with a chance to win a raffle prize.
It's expected that possibly four local Kinettes will be going to Regina to help with TeleMiracle on the day of the event.
Wallman shadowed the club rep position last year and filled it this year for the first time, but she's been involved with TeleMiracle for quite a few years.
"I have a passion for TeleMiracle, so I like to get involved whenever I can," Wallman said. "Me and my daughter have done fundraising since TeleMiracle 40. We started doing something simple and then it went bigger and bigger. And then my dad received funding from TeleMiracle for a motorized scooter, so we held more raffles and fundraisers."
Wallman even got pied last year as part of raising money for TeleMiracle.
Her daughter Tianna is helping with fundraising in Estevan, raised some money herself through running a concession stand at their yard sale, and will be joining Wallman in Regina to volunteer at the event as well.
TeleMiracle 48 preview
This year, 75 talented performers from across the province will appear on TeleMiracle 48. These acts were chosen through an audition process. A national cast of hosts and performers will guide viewers through 20 hours of making miracles happen once again across Saskatchewan.
This year's national cast features a second-generation Johner Boys' singer-songwriter Luc Johner, who will perform solo for the first time, joining his father, Midale's Brad Johner, who will be hosting TeleMiracle for the 27th year.
Joining the cast for the first time will also be White Bear's Teagan Littlechief, the Saskatchewan Country Music Association's Indigenous Artist of the Year.
From the southeast, Breanna Bjarnason of Stoughton is also on the list of performers for TeleMiacle 48.
Skilled performers from various regions across Saskatchewan will take the stage, highlighting the diverse talent within the province. Additionally, the telethon will present stories of impact, sharing experiences from individuals in Saskatchewan who have received support thanks to the generosity of TeleMiracle donors.
In addition to Brad Johner, TeleMiracle 48 includes veteran hosts Beverley Mahood, Jeffery Straker, Jill Straker, Lisa Franks and the return of the TeleMiracle House Band (Sheldon Corbett, Jack Semple, Dave Chabot, Don Griffith and Glenn Ens).
New cast members this year all hail from Saskatchewan. Joining the telethon will be Dione Taylor, a Prairie Blues artist, born and raised in Regina; and Jay Semko, the vocalist and bassist for The Northern Pikes, from Saskatoon. Also joining the national cast is Sabeen Ahmad of CTV Regina.
Entering its 48th year, the annual telethon has raised over $159 million for the people of Saskatchewan since its inception.
Donors can "Ring Those Phones" and call in their pledge during the telethon broadcast or donate online year-round at www.telemiracle.com.
The excitement begins on Feb. 24 at 6:15 p.m. with Countdown to TeleMiracle, which is live streamed at www.telemiracle.com. The live broadcast begins at 9 p.m. across the CTV Saskatchewan network and at www.telemiracle.com, concluding on Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. with the reveal of the final telethon total.
The Kinsmen Foundation provides funding to individuals for special needs equipment or travel assistance to access medical treatment; to group homes for special needs equipment; and to institutions and health foundations to purchase specialized new or innovative equipment to improve health care.
