For the past 34 years, Paul Bunyan Broadcasting in Bemidji has organized their annual Radiothon to End Child Abuse to spread awareness for child abuse prevention organizations.

“It’s now a one-day, 12-hour day, where all three of these radio stations, all the announcers from all of them, get together, and really spend time talking about child abuse prevention efforts and organizations in the community,” explained Paul Bunyan Broadcasting Operations Manager Kev Jackson.

Throughout its 12 hours on air on the stations of KB101, KZY, and Z99, the radiothon raises funds for child protection and child abuse prevention organizations within the community.

“We do through donations and pledges, and encouraging people to call in,” said Jackson. “We want to raise money, we want to educate, and we want the people who might be in really tough situations, to know what’s out there to help them.”

Of course, the radiothon wouldn’t be possible without the help of community volunteers from the United Way of Bemidji Area answering calls and taking pledges.

“We’ve been manning the phones and taking challenges, and dedications,” said volunteer LeeAnn Hess. “Its really a lot of fun to hear all of these people calling in.”

But at its core, Paul Bunyan Broadcasting’s radiothon is meant to shine a spotlight on a tragic issue and the people and organizations working to end child abuse.

“In a lot of times, I didn’t realize how much was going on until I started helping, in programs like this, to see what the need was out there,” said Hess.

“It’s an opportunity for us to hear their voices, and it’s important to hear their voices,” explained Jackson. “And it’s a way we can say ‘thank you’ for what you’re doing every single day.”

Although the radiothon has concluded, the fundraising is still ongoing in the form of cards that can be bought at Lueken’s Village Foods, and at the upcoming Celebrity Server Night at Giovanni’s Pizza, where all tips will be donated to child abuse prevention programing.

By — Justin Othoudt