News Channel 11 helped the Children’s Miracle Network and local partner Wellmont Health System celebrate 25 years of support for hospitals and children's health during a live telethon broadcast on WJHL-TV Saturday night. That local broadcast celebration shared stories of children from the Tri-Cities who have been helped by CMN funds.
Local elected officials were on hand to present checks representing funds raised, as well as to lend their support to the on-air broadcast and Children's Miracle Network cause. Bristol, Tennessee Mayor David Shumaker spoke with News Channel 11 anchor Sara Diamond early on in the evening and expressed his appreciation of CMN's contributions to the health of local children, while Tennessee Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey challenged others to call in with pledges later in the telethon. Ramsey was joined by Tennesssee House of Representatives members Jon Lundburg and Jason Mumpower in presenting a $10,000 check to CMN locally. The money represented community enhancement grant money each had designated be used by Wellmont hospitals in the Tri-Cities through Children's Miracle Network. Wellmont operates Holston Valley Medical Center and Bristol Regional Medical Center as well as 12 other hospitals in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
News Channel 11 anchors Josh Smith, Selena Wiles and Sara Diamond shared information about how CMN donations are used locally during the 6-hour live broadcast and interviewed children helped through CMN locally during the show.
CMN, founded in 1983, is a non-profit alliance of 270 hospitals and health care systems which provide medical care for children. Since its founding, CMN says it’s helped raise $2.7 billion in the United States and Canada, and all the donated money stays in the community where it originates. This year, CMN is expanding into the United Kingdom.
Since 1987, 11,000 people in the Tri-Cities have donated $7 million dollars to Children’s Miracle Network, according to the Wellmont Foundation.
“That money really makes a difference every day in the lives of local kids,” said Brenna Gillispie, Children’s Miracle Network Director for the Wellmont Foundation.
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