Easter Seals telethon returns to raise money for kids with physical disabilities

WINDSOR, ONT. -- The 38th Annual Easter Seals Telethon is returning during the pandemic this fall to raise money for children with disabilities.

Easter Seals Ontario (Windsor-Essex) announced Wednesday that the telethon presented by The Toldo Foundation will air on CTV Windsor over two days - Saturday, Oct. 31 and Saturday, Nov. 7 from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m.

“Despite the pandemic having postponed our efforts throughout the region of Windsor-Essex County earlier this year, our regional Easter Seals’ team, in collaboration with its partners, have rallied back to support kids with physical disabilities,” says Kevin Collins, president and CEO for Easter Seals Ontario.

This year, Easter Seals and its production partners have taken the opportunity to modernize the telethon by pre-recording some segments earlier this fall inside the Student Life Centre at St. Clair College, while ensuring safe physical distancing.

“We worked a little magic with the Easter Seals Ambassadors, host, partners and team,” says telethon producer Brittany Gurney. “We’re all excited to take the telethon is going into a modern direction that it has never seen in years’ previous.”

Elements of the pre-record are already being vetted through Circle-Box Video, who was on-site for the shoot and onto whom is currently working in collaboration with David Jacob Duke Creative Design Studio through the post-production process to have content inserted into this year’s Telethon with thanks to CTV London and CTV Toronto.

“Thanks to Dean Bates at CTV London, who fostered the idea, we are going to embed pre-recorded footage, branding and graphics into a Harry Potter movie-thon on October 31st and November 7th on CTV,” says Jeremy Renaud, development officer of Easter Seals Ontario (Windsor-Essex).

Renaud says sponsors and supporters will be recognized as they have been in the past, but now they have a unique venue to engage a much broader audience of all ages to be exposed to Easter Seals that will also be promoted through traditional and online media.

“Supporters during each broadcast will be able to phone and make a live donation just as they have over the phone in recent years or donate online,” adds Renaud. “Donors who make a donation will receive recognition on CTV Windsor through the broadcast via a live crawl where names will be displayed on a lower third of the screen.”

Proceeds from this year’s campaign and telethon will go towards funding of essential mobility and accessibility equipment, such as wheelchairs, walkers, ramps and lifts, for kids with physical disabilities.