December 4, 2006
Christmas Daddies hauls in nearly $300,000
Premier performs at telethon for less fortunate children
By Chris Shannon, the Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — This year’s 32nd annual Christmas Daddies telethon had performances from the usual suspects of the Barra MacNeils, The Cottars, Matt Minglewood and Rita MacNeil. And then there was a musical performance from someone you might not have expected to see on the broadcast. The province’s fiddle-playing Premier Rodney MacDonald performed a square set live on-air for a nationally televised audience.

This year’s telethon aired across the country Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on ASN, a CTV cable affiliate.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world. This is a great fundraiser for the kids and it makes a difference in the lives of children,” said the premier, who had only been at one previous Christmas Daddies telethon, but hadn’t performed until Sunday afternoon.

“It’s a great way to pledge and make a difference but it’s also a great way for the musicians to gather together as well.”

The Christmas Daddies telethon, a non-profit organization, raised a record $296,307 for less fortunate children Sunday. The money raised will help children have a happier Christmas. The money is turned over to the Salvation Army, which distributes it to needy families.

Last year’s total in Cape Breton was a record of $219,887. And across the Maritimes in 2005, the telethon raised $726,725. Scott Boyd, co-host of the show produced at CTV’s Sydney station on George Street, said the telethon has been phenomenal this year.

“The phones are just going crazy. They’re going nuts,” Boyd said outside the studio, taking a momentary break from his on-air duties.

“The Cottars were on singing a traditional tune. And in any other place in the world the song would say, ‘Oh my God, let’s just slow it down.

’ Well it slowed it down just long enough that you could hear the phones just come to life.”

On hand in the studio was country music award-winner Aaron Lines, CTV’s Corner Gas stars Gabrielle Miller and Janet Wright and comedian Reed Rankin. Another highlight was the performance by Rita MacNeil and the Men of the Deeps. Nine-year-old volunteer Payton Deeble, working at her second Christmas Daddies telethon, explained what her duties were while she held pledge slips in her hand.

“I pass them in to the computer ladies and they type them in on the computer. It gets the donors on to the TV so the viewers on TV can see their names.”

CTV used both its own facility and a site at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre, which broadcast some of the major cheque presentations.

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