{"id":117002,"date":"2021-03-12T11:25:28","date_gmt":"2021-03-12T16:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=117002"},"modified":"2021-03-12T11:25:28","modified_gmt":"2021-03-12T16:25:28","slug":"heart-telethon-raises-80394","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=117002","title":{"rendered":"Heart Telethon raises $80,394"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Funds support America\u2019s Greatest Heart Run &amp; Walk, set for May 15 as a digital event<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The campaign against heart disease and stroke got a big lift, as the Heart Telethon on WKTV raised $80,394. Funds raised during the Telethon go to America\u2019s Greatest Heart Run &amp; Walk, a fundraiser for the American Heart Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Telethon took a different format in a year full of \u201cdifferents.\u201d Usually broadcast at the same time as America\u2019s Greatest Heart Run &amp; Walk, today\u2019s Heart Telethon was a standalone event at the offices of its presenting sponsor, Scalzo, Zogby &amp; Wittig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">American Heart Association staff took phone calls remotely, but Zoomed in to form a \u201cCall Wall,\u201d an updated version of a phone bank. Board members of the American Heart Association joined in the final hour of the Telethon. Throughout the day, WKTV anchor Jason Powles interviewed survivors, sponsors and American Heart Association volunteers. As befits the times, some interviews were in person but socially distanced and some were by Zoom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve moved the date of America\u2019s Greatest Heart Run &amp; Walk to May 15, but were happy to have kept the tradition of having early March events with today\u2019s Telethon, and last week\u2019s Radiothon on WIBX,\u201d said Steve Gassner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gassner is administrative officer at Mohawk Valley Water Authority, chair of the Utica Board of Directors of the American Heart Association and logistics director for America\u2019s Greatest Heart Run &amp; Walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI cannot thank our community, sponsors and volunteers enough for today\u2019s Telethon success,\u201d said Tina Pavlot, branch manager for M &amp; T Bank, and chair of the 2021 Heart Telethon. \u201cGoing digital poses some challenges, but it is evident our community understands how important the work of the American Heart Association is by their generous sponsorships and pledges to America\u2019s Greatest Heart Run &amp; Walk Telethon. \u201cDon\u2019t forget to register your team for America\u2019s Greatest Heart Run &amp; Walk May 15.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo much has changed since last year\u2019s Heart Telethon, but one thing that hasn\u2019t is the critical need to fight heart disease and stroke,\u201d said Dave Streeter, operations manager at WKTV. \u201cLuckily, the generosity of the Mohawk Valley hasn\u2019t changed either, and WKTV is glad we could play a role in this fight. The Telethon may have looked different, but the results were outstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are honored to be the presenting sponsor for the WKTV NewsChannel 2 Heart Telethon for the second year in a row,\u201d said Steve Zogby, vice president of Scalzo, Zogby &amp; Wittig Insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTo be able to raise funds that directly impact the health of the community is an amazing experience and an important endeavor,\u201d said Gary Scalzo, president of Scalzo, Zogby &amp; Wittig Insurance. \u201cAmerica\u2019s Greatest Heart Run &amp; Walk may look a bit different May 15, but the mission of the American Heart Association is more crucial than ever. It is our hope the community will support this campaign again this year as they have so successfully in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOnce again, the Utica and Mohawk Valley community came through for us by supporting the Heart Telethon,\u201d Gassner said. \u201cToday marks a year since the pandemic began, and I am proud of the way people continue to support the work of the American Heart Association. I want to thank the Telethon committee, all the sponsors and those who donated incentives to the Telethon, and everyone who gave. I\u2019m looking forward to seeing everyone running or walking wherever they are during America\u2019s Greatest Heart Run &amp; Walk on May 15.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People can continue to donate throughout the weekend by texting WKTV to 41444; to register for America\u2019s Greatest Heart Run &amp; Walk, a digital event this year, vist UticaHeartRunWalk.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Funds support America\u2019s Greatest Heart Run &amp; Walk, set for May 15 as a digital event The campaign against heart disease and stroke got a big lift, as the Heart Telethon on WKTV raised $80,394. Funds raised during the Telethon go to America\u2019s Greatest Heart Run &amp; Walk, a fundraiser for the American Heart Association. 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