Radiothon 2020

The Voice of the County hosts COVID-safe fundraiser

A radio station can relate to the importance of connection. It connects to the local community it serves in so many different ways, but also to a community that in turn supports its community radio station in a mutually beneficial and unique relationship. The community came through this past weekend when 99.3 County FM’s annual fundraising goal of $40,000 was met. When the Radiothon ended on Sunday night, the final tally came in at $41,618. It took just four days, but it was no easy feat, especially in a COVID-19 year. 99.3 County FM (CJPE) typically hold one big fundraising event annually, usually in April, where dozens of local artists take a turn performing at the radio station on Cold Storage Road in Picton. It’s always a fun time, a big party, the public drops by, sometimes there is a tailgate party, everyone has a great time and lots of cash is raised.

This year, it wasn’t even certain the annual fundraiser would go ahead. “We were all geared for the last week of April and we had to move it, and we had to decide what we were going to do,” said Craig Mills, 99.3 County FM’s General Manager. “Health comes first, and it was important for us to be able to do it in this fiscal year, but we had no idea if the restrictions were going to be lifted or not.” A lot of discussion and thought ensued, followed by planning and organizing and figuring out how and if it could be achieved, all while keeping everyone safe. A couple of months later than originally scheduled, they pulled it off in a new format, bringing people together without actually bringing people together.

The sixth annual Radiothon followed a similar format from past years: four days, Thursday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The musicians came and they played. The public phoned in to pledge money. There were presenters and interviews and hourly updates with how much was raised. Much was the same, but so much was different, especially behind the scenes. Organizers and volunteers worked on the fundraiser for five or six weeks, ensuring a seamless production—and the huge effort paid off in a year like no other. “We have never done it the way we are doing it, and there have been a lot of changes we’ve had to adapt to,” said Mills. He said they couldn’t risk doing a four-day broadcast live-streaming from people’s homes because of Internet connectivity issues in the County. “Back Forty Productions made this wonderful offer and we took them up on it.” With many loyal advertisers hit hard themselves due to the outbreak, revenues at the station this year have been reduced substantially.

Stew Jones and Trevor Norris sing in the rain during the 2017 99.3 County FM Radiothon.

People were discouraged from turning up at the radio station which was only minimally staffed and closed to the public. Donations could be made online, by phone or by mail, with calls being relayed to volunteers’ homes, where Mills’ task and that of the station’s volunteers was to ensure everything worked when it should. “Basically, it’s merging all that data, getting on the air, the summaries, the publicity, the social media that has to go out telling people about the different artists and our scheduling,” said Mills, noting they still had to juggle all the usual stuff of keeping the station on the air during the four-day Radiothon. This non-profit organization, deemed an essential service, runs 24/7, 365 days a year, and around 600 public service announcements are read on air through the year.

Most of the musical acts, 31 of the 45, were recorded live on location during the last few weeks at Back Forty Productions, a music production facility owned by Caleb Hutton who generously offered the space for the Radiothon. One band, Cue the Funk, recorded their segment at The Regent Theatre, with the remaining 14 musicians performing from home. The performances at Back Forty were conducted in such a way to keep everyone safe. “An announcer has a separate room and they would look through the glass to the musician in a separate room,” explains Mills. “Then the mixing was done in another separate safe area, so basically three different areas were safe. Every time the artists came we had to sanitize that room, and then the next act would come in, and they would record and do the interview.”

To capture a little of the spirit of last year’s tailgate party, where people could come and sell items, donating the money back to the radio station, a small auction ran on Facebook from noon Friday, closing on Sunday at 6 p.m. Items on offer included a quilt, several paintings, a planter, a backpack and a wood carving, where bidding was fierce but friendly with a few keen bidders driving bids skyward. The 45 performers, all of whom donated their time and talent to the cause, included Emily Fennell, Peter Rea, and Justin Rutledge who performed the first song he wrote when he moved to Prince Edward County in 2017, Allisonville. The extraordinary range and depth of musical talent in the line-up also featured Gavin Massey, The Frere Brothers, Lindsay Ferguson and guitarist- extraordinaire, Robert Keyes. The final hour of the fundraiser Sunday night featured Instant Rivalry and friends who, along with 21 local musicians, performed the world premiere of the debut song, We Are One, a theme song produced for Canada Day.

Donations received during the Radiothon, and throughout the year, go towards a variety of running costs, from rent to licensing fees to equipment, as well as utilities, streaming fees and staff. “We have five people that are a combination of part- and full-time and it works out as 3.75 staff,” explains Mills, who notes they also work with 80-plus active volunteers. Mills said last year about 18 per cent of their revenue was from donations. “Basically, about a fifth of the money to run this place is through donations, which are really appreciated.” He also couldn’t say enough about the many artists who contribute to the Radiothon. “We don’t really promote them enough; all of the musicians donate their time, but to get this many musicians to put in the effort especially during a COVID crisis is incredible: this wouldn’t happen without the musicians and Back Forty Productions.”

Donations to 99.3 County FM can be made at any time (a tax receipt is issued for donations $20 and over), either online (993countyfm.ca), by phone (1-855-438- 2993) or by mailing a cheque (made payable to The County Foundation, noting 99.3 County FM in the memo line) to 2-38 Cold Storage Road, Picton, ON, K0K 2T0.