The 49th Annual Ernie Blankenship Memorial Radio-Telethon, sponsored by the Hillsboro and Greenfield Rotary Clubs, has been delayed until Wednesday, June 23, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, event organizer Rocky Coss said in a news release.
“The normal date would have been March 24th, but with ongoing restrictions recommended for public gatherings and the continued risk of spreading of the virus, the decision to delay the event until June was made in the belief that the number of vaccinations will be much greater and hopefully the risk of spreading it will be greatly reduced,” Coss wrote in the news release.
This year’s event will take place at the Hillsboro Orpheum starting at 6 p.m. The host will be Southern Hills Community Bank and its employees. Planning for the event will start next month, according to Coss.
“The radio-telethon is for the benefit of the Highland County Society for Children & Adults which provides financial assistance for medical expenses, equipment, transportation, and related items for residents of Highland County. Despite all of the adversity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 radio-telethon raised a total of almost $100,000. The total raised over the past 48 years is 3.86 million dollars,” Coss said.
The Rotary Clubs ask that all persons, groups and businesses that are planning to donate mark the date and time on their calendars.
”We anticipate that the event will be fully in person and that everyone can join Rotarians and others in celebrating the community’s support of this unique Highland County charitable organization,” Coss said.
