The Sept. 26 telethon to raise funds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio brought in $197,000, an organization spokesperson told The Land.

More than 250 donors contributed to the daylong “Day of Giving.” BGCNEO leaders are still determining how exactly to use the funds, but said the money will “enable us to serve more youth.”

In addition to indivdual donors, the Oswald Companies sponsored the telethon and donated $10,000, while The Callahan Foundation provided a $50,000 match for all donations made that day. The telethon aired on WKYC.

As part of the telethon, donors were entered into a raffle for tickets to football games at The Ohio State University and Cleveland Browns Stadium. The winners were Lynne Dougherty, Jen Hans and Jessica Van Meter.

Why a Telethon?

Boys & Girls Clubs members are between the ages of 6 and 18. They get a safe place to see friends and a free daily meal, the organization said. Adult mentors help attendees learn about sports, the arts and career readiness. A survey conducted by the organization showed that members have higher graduation rates, academic scores, and are more likely to participate in community service than peers.

In August, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio announced they would not be reopening 22 of their 49 regional locations due to a loss of federal funding. Lorain and Cuyahoga counties were most hard hit by the funding loss, with 17 Clubs not reopening in those areas. BGCNEO lost $2.5 million in federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds. The remaining $500,000 was lost from federal pass-through funds through local school systems, the organization said in a statement. Prior to these financial setbacks, there were 9,800 children who attended a BGCNEO site.

Then, in early September, the Ohio Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs reallocated some of its own funding to help BGCNEO reopen five sites. The sites supported by the funding were:

Helen Arnold Community Learning Center in Akron
Westwood Middle School in Elyria
Huron Primary School in Ashtabula
Westwood Elementary School in Wellington
Elmwood Elementary School in Garfield Heights

However, BGCNEO said that despite the new funding and the reopening of select sites, service at the Clubs would continue to be limited due to a staff shortage. It’s not yet clear what impact the telethon’s funding could have on that situation, or the 17 BGCNEO Clubs that remain closed this school year.

BGCNEO is continue to raise funds, but is grateful for the support received during the telethon.

“The community really stepped up. While we have not yet determined exactly how we will use the funds, it will enable us to serve more youth,” a spokesperson told The Land.

You can still donate to BGCNEO as part of its Day of Giving through this link.