Radiothon fetches $64,000

Funds slated for vets, families

By FRITZ MAYER

WHITE LAKE, NY — It was billed as the largest regional radiothon ever staged to benefit families of troops that were killed or injured in Iraq or Afghanistan. It started at 8:00 a.m. at the Sullivan County International Airport. By the end of the day, volunteers had raised $64,000, with up to $5,000 more expected to still come in.

The radiothon was sponsored by the Committee for the Families of Iraq and Afghanistan War Vets, a regional not-for-profit group.

Paul Ciliberto of Thunder 102, which broadcast the event live, said there was a lot of support from the community. He said supporters came to the airport throughout the day to hear performances from local talent such as Stacy and Friends, Tony Dance from River’s Edge Band and Somerville.

“We received a lot of typical pledge cards, where listeners promised to send donations,” he said, “But we also received many pledge cards with checks and cash attached to them, so the listeners really responded positively.”

Local ShopRite stores were also involved in the promotion of the event.