We are happy to announce we will once again sponsor the annual Radio/Cablethon live from Blytheville, AR on Saturday, March 2.
In its 39th year, the annual Radio/Cablethon raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of childhood cancer and other catastrophic diseases. The event will be held at the Blytheville High School auditorium, where performances will be showcased for a live audience.
We're celebrating our 12th year of involvement with the event and will broadcast Saturday’s Cablethon live from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on our local access channel, Tubetown, which is channel 21 in Northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri and channel 11 in West Tennessee. The Tubetown production of the Cablethon will also be streamed on Facebook Live, which allows viewers around the world to watch by visiting www.Facebook.com/TubetownOnline. Donations may be pledged during the day of the event by calling 870-824-2020 or 1-855-824-2020.
ESA Sorority, a women’s civic club established in Northeast Arkansas who has taken ownership of the event for many decades, fundraises year round to ensure the success of the Radio/Cablethon. We are proud to work alongside the ladies of ESA to produce this community-focused event.
KHLS Thunder Country 96.3 FM, a Blytheville-based Sudbury Broadcasting radio station, leads the Radiothon. The programming focuses on St. Jude as the station promotes the weekend’s events and solicits pledges from listeners. KHLS will also air the audio portion of Tubetown’s Cablethon production.
St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance, and NO child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay. St. Jude relies heavily on donations from generous people throughout the country to fund their efforts.
Over the last 11 years, the Cablethon has raised over $2.6 million in donations to St. Jude, including $207,892 in 2018. Last year’s total included $4,177 of our own employee contributions.
“We love this event because it demonstrates our commitment to the people and communities we serve and our pledge to always be ‘Right by You’,” said our Vice President of Marketing & Federal Advocacy, Susan Christian. “So many employees dedicate their time to this event by not only volunteering, but also raising money internally prior to the event and filming the event live in front of an audience.”
Led by our local content manager, Marcus Carlton, a team plans for months for the production of the Cablethon.
“The Cablethon is something that is very close to our hearts and we at Tubetown have grown to appreciate every aspect of it,” Carlton said. “Seeing communities come together to support St. Jude is something really amazing, and we can’t think of a better organization to partner with in making a difference in the lives of children. It’s a true privilege to be involved.”
About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital:
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit www.stjude.org.
About Ritter Communications:
Ritter Communications, founded in Marked Tree, Arkansas and headquartered in Jonesboro, began providing local phone service in 1906. Today, Ritter serves 89 communities and more than 45,000 customers in Northeast and North Central Arkansas, Southeast Missouri and West Tennessee with advanced voice and data services, video, high speed Internet and hosted solutions typically found only in major metropolitan areas. Ritter invests heavily in the communities it serves by deploying proven, best in class infrastructure and technology while coupling it with a world class customer focused experience. To stay connected visit facebook.com/rittercommunications.
About Tubetown:
Tubetown, a community partnership by Ritter Communications, airs local, live and pre-recorded high school sports, as well as local events, parades, charities and pageants. Tubetown was established as Ritter’s local content production arm in 2008 and reaches thousands of viewers via Facebook Live and Ritter TV customers in Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri. Tubetown airs on channel 11 in West Tennessee and 21 northeast Arkansas/Missouri. Visit Tubetownonline.com on the web and receive programming updates via our Twitter account, @Tubetown.
