Latest news with #IWKTelethon
CTV News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Record breaking weekend at IWK Telethon
Atlantic Watch More than $8.3 million was raised at the 41st annual IWK Telethon in Halifax. The annual event on CTV shares powerful stories of courage and care.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Maritimers step up in generosity again for IWK Telethon
Watch the 41st annual IWK Telethon for Children on CTV and support Maritime children and families in need. Every year, Maritimers rally behind a cause that is close to home and touches countless lives – and that's supporting the IWK Health Centre through the IWK Telethon for Children. The telethon – broadcast live on CTV Atlantic – brings in millions each year for the IWK, which is an internationally renowned children's and women's hospital. But the hospital itself does need help, said IWK Foundation President and CEO Jennifer Gillivan, because government funding only goes so far. 'It's an old building and it needs upgrades,' said Gillivan. 'We need new technology. It keeps changing. So, we need better equipment, all the time. We have new programs and research, and it drives new ways to treat kids and patients.' Now in its 41st year, the IWK Telethon has become a powerful showing of the generosity of community, which is always there to support the cause. IWK Telethon Volunteers operate the call-in donation lines at the 41st annual IWK Telethon on Sunday, June 1, 2025. (Jesse Thomas/CTV Atlantic) Last year, it raised a record $7.5 million for its 40th anniversary. Even when times are tough financially for people, Gillivan said Maritimers step up in generosity. 'There's something right about a community when they know to put kids and women first,' said Gillivan. 'To actually support them in this way, there's just something right about that.' It's no small task to pull off the telethon and TV broadcast, but it's a labour of love for the roughly 400 volunteers and those working in front of the cameras, telling the stories, and those behind the cameras helping to deliver the show. IWK Telethon Former CTV Atlantic chief anchor Steve Murphy and former CTV News at Five host Jayson Baxter share a laugh during the 41st IWK Telethon on Sunday, June 1, 2025. (Jesse Thomas/CTV Atlantic) 'I don't think people realize how much work has gone into building the set, writing the scripts and finding those patient stories,' said CTV's Liz Rigney, who is also the lead producer of the IWK Telethon. 'There is a big team, and everyone is so happy and so proud at the end of this production.' The IWK Telethon is about raising money for the hospital but at the heart of it, it's about highlighting the patient stories and the real lives and families who have been touched by the incredible work and staff who make a difference at the IWK. 'I can't believe the level of skill, the knowledge, and the genius of the people who work at the IWK,' said Rigney. 'I don't think people understand, it's a world class facility and we're so happy to support it with the telethon.' The IWK Telethon runs until 6 p.m. Sunday. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
How to watch the 41st IWK Telethon
Watch the 41st annual IWK Telethon for Children on CTV and support Maritime children and families in need. Service is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later. [5005/500] It's a weekend of giving in the Maritimes. The IWK Foundation returns with its children's telethon Sunday to support the most urgent priority needs at the IWK Health Centre, which is the region's largest children's hospital. 'This is an amazing weekend. It's a year's worth of work to get to this weekend, but we're all ready and I hope our community, as always, will tune in. I think they're in for a real treat this year,' said IWK Foundation President and CEO Jennifer Gillivan in an interview on CTV Morning Live. The fun begins Saturday night with a Telethon Tribute from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The show is hosted by CTV's Katie Kelly alongside actor, TV personality and Maritimer Jonathan Torrens. The broadcasts features several Maritime performers, including Heather Rankin, JRDN, DeeDee Austin, Cassie and Maggie, Irish Mythen, as well as Rankin MacInnis and the Broken Reeds. 'This is a heartfelt, amazing show with some fantastic talent and surprises that I'm not going to tell people about. You're going to have to tune in to find out,' said Gillivan. The 41st IWK Telethon for Children then airs Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Many familiar faces will host the eight-hour broadcast, including CTV Atlantic Chief Anchor Todd Battis and CTV News at Five Host Maria Panopalis. The telethon is the IWK Foundation's largest fundraiser of the year. It will feature stories from patients and families who have received care at the health centre, as well as donors from around the region. 'People are extremely generous, they care deeply about their children, and about the health of their families, and they show it,' she said. Both the Telethon Tribute and IWK Telethon for Children will be broadcast on CTV Atlantic, the CTV Atlantic website and the CTV app. People can donate all weekend by visiting or calling 1-800-595-2266. Last year, the telethon raised more than $7.5 million. 'Every donation counts, and we know times can be tough and we understand that, and we really appreciate that if you can donate, please do, because we really need it,' said Gillivan.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Countdown on to 41st IWK Telethon for Children
The studio where the 41st IWK Telethon will be shot is pictured before the big show. People have been hard at work preparing for the 41st IWK Telethon for Children. 'There's a lot of late nights, a lot of early mornings, some frustrations, but at the end of the day, the feeling you get when the show wraps and we know we've done the best we could to raise money for the IWK… Wow!' said CTV Atlantic's Liz Rigney, who produces the IWK Telethon. She said it will be a weekend full of fundraising, with no shortage of entertainment. 'This year, we have a lot of really interesting content. On Saturday night, we have a tribute show, which is basically a variety show, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., and a lot of wonderful local Maritime talent,' she said. The show will feature music from Heather Rankin, JRDN, DeeDee Austin, Cassie and Maggie, Irish Mythen, as well as Rankin MacInnis and the Broken Reeds. The IWK Telethon then takes place Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is the IWK Foundation's largest fundraiser of the year. 'We hear back from families all the time who have benefitted from the IWK and, specifically, the telethon throughout the years,' said Melanie Matheson, IWK Foundation Director of Development. She said the telethon is made possible through the hard work of many people who keep coming back year after year. 'I think over the weekend we'll have almost 400 volunteers that will be involved through the phone banks and various other pieces of need over the weekend, and they really are kind of the heart and soul of what we do,' said Matheson. 'We have a lot of patients that then come and volunteer as they get older or they'll attend the tribute show on Saturday night, and so it really is a family and a community that just continues to benefit from the telethon.' Funds raised go to the most urgent needs at the IWK Health Centre, which is the region's biggest children's hospital. Matheson said one piece of equipment in high demand is the CADD (continuous ambulatory delivery device) pump. 'It's something that allows children to receive care at home, so they can take this piece of equipment home with them in their community, go to school and have this pump on them so they can continue to receive their medication,' he said. Last year, the telethon raised more than $7.5 million. 'We really want to just show our gratitude that every dollar counts,' Matheson said. 'No matter how big, no matter how small, it all adds up to this this incredible support for the IWK.' The Telethon Tribute and the IWK Telethon for Children will air on CTV Atlantic. Both shows will also be available on the CTV Atlantic website and the CTV app.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Jonathan Torrens, Katie Kelly host musical tribute show ahead of annual IWK Telethon
A star-studded celebration is set to take over downtown Halifax this weekend, as the IWK Telethon Tribute Show returns for another night of music, community and giving. The concert takes place Saturday night at the Lighthouse Arts Centre, just ahead of the annual IWK Telethon on CTV. Now in its fourth year, the tribute show brings together a lineup of East Coast talent in support of the IWK Health Centre. This year's performers include Heather Rankin, JRDN, DeeDee Austin, Cassie and Maggie, and Irish Mythen—backed by award-winning house band Rankin MacInnis and the Broken Reeds. 'It's an honourable cause,' said MacInnis. 'I had family that benefited from the IWK foundation. I grew up watching the telethon, so just to have a small part in it now means a lot to me, means a lot to the band.' The evening is co-hosted by CTV Atlantic's Katie Kelly and actor Jonathan Torrens, with a live audience expected at the Lighthouse Arts Centre and the full show airing on CTV Atlantic at 7 p.m. The tribute show sets the stage for Sunday's full-day IWK Telethon, which airs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and features stories from across the region about the impact of the IWK and the families it supports. Donations to the IWK Foundation can be made online or by phone throughout the weekend. Katie Kelly and Jonathan Torrens Jonathan Torrens and Katie Kelly will host a musical tribute show this week. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
