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Home > About > News > Sept. 26 telethon on WKYC to support Boys & Girls Clubs
September 16, 2024 | Press Release

Sept. 26 telethon on WKYC to support Boys & Girls Clubs

A daylong Sept. 26 telethon on WKYC Studios will benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio.

Boys & Girls Clubs Day of Giving 2024, sponsored by Oswald Companies, will raise money for BGCNEO, which has had to reduce the number of Clubs this fall due to various economic factors. Club programs will be featured throughout the day and viewers will be asked to donate.

You will be able to give online or by phone. You can also receive a donation link via text.   

Each donation of $25 or more will automatically enter the donor in a drawing for two premium tickets to any Ohio State University football home game or any Cleveland Browns home game, except the Nov. 21 contest against the Steelers. Winners will be notified following the event.

The Day of Giving page is now live here.

WKYC Studios has been a longtime partner of BGCNEO. In addition to sponsoring the telethon, Oswald Companies is making a $10,000 donation to BGCNEO and urging others to give.

“Oswald Companies is proud to support this telethon to benefit BCGNEO,” Chairman and CEO Robert J. Klonk said. “We encourage the community to take part and help restore needed staffing and services.”

WKYC President and General Manager Micki Byrnes said, “We’re honored to partner with the Clubs and Oswald to help better serve the amazing kids of Cleveland.”

BGCNEO CEO Allen Smith said even with a smaller footprint, the organization will be able to serve additional kids this fall by increasing capacity at sites that are now limited by staff size.

Smith said he hopes viewers tune in to see what the Clubs provide for kids and families.

“We are so grateful for the commitment Oswald Companies and WKYC Studios have shown for the kids in our community during this challenging time,” he said. “I hope folks will be inspired not just by the programming we offer but also by the generosity of those who support our Clubs.”

Boys & Girls Clubs provide safe, fun places for kids ages 6-18 to go after school, with a focus on academic success, healthy lifestyles and leadership. There is no charge to join a Club.