Ernie Blankenship Memorial Radio-Telethon set for March 29

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The 45th annual Ernie Blankenship Memorial Radio-Telethon to support the Highland County Society for Children and Adults will be held March 29 at U.S. Bank in Hillsboro.

Rocky Coss, the Highland County Common Pleas judge who leads Hillsboro Rotary’s telethon efforts, announced the date during Tuesday’s Rotary meeting. Coss’ wife, Gayle, is director of the society.

Last year, about $106,000 was raised, reversing a two-year trend of lower contributions.

The total represented both the Hillsboro and Greenfield totals for the event. Greenfield Rotary also supports the telethon, with a corresponding live event typically held at McClain High School. In Hillsboro, the telethon rotates each year between U.S. Bank, Merchants Bank and NCB Bank.

The radio-telethon represents the primary fundraising effort of the year for the society, which helps Highland County residents with medical bills and supplies. Contributions big and small from across the county and beyond continue to represent a substantial fundraising achievement for an organization that is entirely operated and funded on the local level.

Since 1973, the annual radio-telethon has raised about $3.5 million.

For years, Ernie Blankenship hosted the annual event and served as fundraiser-in-chief throughout the year. The event was named in Blankenship’s honor in 2013, and after his passing it became a memorial in his honor starting in 2014.

The radio-telethon is typically broadcast live on the local Time Warner community access channel, and on WSRW 101.5 FM and WSRW AM 1590. In Greenfield, it is broadcast on the Time Warner community access channel along with periodic broadcasts on WVNU FM 97.5. A live broadcast of the event has been streamed in recent years at www.tech-t.com/telethon.

Contributions can be dropped off at any time of the year at any local bank or mailed to the society at P.O. Box 258, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133.

Reach Gary Abernathy at 937-393-3456 or on Twitter @abernathygary.

By Gary Abernathy

[email protected]

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