Telethon ends on high note

By CHRIS MENEES Messenger Staff Reporter Chimes for Charity’s annual fundraising telethon ended on a high note Thursday night. The community enjoyed an evening of musical entertainment and guest speakers to the tune of $13,392 in pledges and donations — bringing the telethon’s four-night total this week to $33,047. Local preschoolers took the stage Thursday night at Second Baptist Church in Union City to provide the program’s entertainment. The groups featured included Kare Bear Preschool, Pleasant Valley Preschool and First Friends. “Tonight was wonderful,” Chimes secretary Lindsay Frilling said late Thursday night. “We had a large crowd and raised lots of money.” The $33,000-plus raised so far still leaves Chimes $11,953 short of reaching this year’s $45,000 goal — all of which will be used for the Jaycees and J’Cettes’ longtime project to provide food, clothing and toys for less fortunate individuals and families around Obion County this Christmas. Chimes officials report that about $30,000 has already been spent to provide clothing and toys for children, with the additional funds to be used to provide food baskets. Donations may be mailed to Chimes for Charity, P.O. Box 661, Union City, TN 38281. Officials with the organization ask that donors honor their pledges as quickly as possible in order for the funds to be available to help those in need this Christmas. The annual telethon is a major fundraiser for Chimes, which relies on donations from individuals, churches, businesses and civic organizations in order to meet its goal. The funds are raised with the generous support of the community and then distributed back into the community in the form of clothing, food and toys for those in need. The telethon kicked off Monday night with a total of $4,604 in pledges, followed by $9,274 Tuesday night, $5,777 Wednesday night and $13,392 Thursday night. Each night, the telethon was aired live on local AM radio station WENK-1240 from 6-7:30 p.m. and was broadcast on a one-hour tape delay on local television station WOBT. Many local residents also chose to enjoy the entertainment in person each night by being a part of the audience at Second Baptist Church and many of their donations were made in honor of the young entertainers featured during the week. Different school and church groups entertained on every program, which also featured emcee Jim Adcock and several guests each evening. Many of the guests talked about Chimes’ presence in the community throughout the 74 years the program has been in existence. Chimes’ projects to help those in need include shopping tours to provide new winter clothing for Head Start, elementary and junior high children; the distribution of toys to the children treated to the shopping tours; and the Christmas Eve delivery of food baskets to less fortunate families and individuals across Obion County. Several businesses in Union City are serving as drop-off locations for toys to be distributed by Chimes. They include Van Heusen at VF Outlet at 601 Sherwood Drive; First Citizens Financial Plus at 501 South First St.; Union City Housing Authority’s Community Center at 1409 East Main St.; the Obion County Public Library at 1221 East Reelfoot Ave.; Advanced Gastroenterology/Dr. Kofi Nuako at 1109 East Reelfoot Ave.; and Celebrations by Sheila at 125 East Main St. Chimes will also benefit from non-perishable food items and toys collected this weekend at the annual Santa’s Village at the University of Tennessee at Martin’s Ned McWherter Agricultural Complex. Santa’s Village opened Thursday night and will continue tonight from 6-9, Saturday from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Admission is a suggested donation of $5 worth of non-perishable foods and/or toys, which will be distributed to several local organizations that help those in need at Christmas. Volunteers may work on behalf of the Union City Jaycees and J’Cettes at Santa’s Village tonight from 6-9. The more workers present, the more Chimes will benefit from items collected, according to a Chimes spokesman. Staff Reporter Chris Menees may be contacted by e-mail at cmenees@ucmessenger.com. Published in The Messenger 12.12.08

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