KRCC’s virtual telethon kicks off Sunday

SIKESTON — A year ago this time, organizers of the annual Kenny Rogers Children’s Center Telethon were forced to make the tough decision to cancel the two-day, in-person event and instead offer its largest fundraiser virtually.

“Every day, it got worse and worse,” KRCC Executive Director Michelle Fayette recalled about the pandemic and events leading up to the 2020 telethon, which was its 40th year. “The other day I was listening to someone talking about how we were marking a year that everything closed down, and I remember when we made the decision to do a virtual telethon, I wondered if we were being a little dramatic. Right after that, the NBA called off the basketball games.”

And Fayette said she knew they had made the right decision because not long after, the Center shut down for two months.

“We had to be like everyone else and figure out how to continue to provide services to kids again and in a very safe environment for our kids and staff,” Fayette said.

The Center employees returned to work after Memorial Day and prepared for reopening, she said.

“We literally built virtual offices for every staff member,” Fayette said. “Our staff office was in cubicles so we couldn’t keep everyone distanced like that.”

Fayette credited Alliance Rehab helping the Center.

“They came in and literally built virtual walls use 2-by-4 studs and covered them with plastic sheets,” Fayette said.

The Center also made adjustments to how it conducts day-to-day business due to the pandemic.

“They’ve had to change a lot,” Fayette said of the therapists. “We’ve done Zoom calls and telehealth. When we were completely shut down, the need for our services never stopped.”

Today’s routine, Fayette said, includes parents pulling up under the awning, staff taking patient’s temperatures, parents pulling into the parking lot spaces to wait. When a therapist is ready, they will go out to get the child, and when they come in, they go to the virtual cubicles. No one is allowed cannot wander from room to room. In between, staff members are wiping down, cleaning and disinfecting equipment and furniture, she said.

The Center received a personal protection equipment loan and used it to purchase masks, gloves, disinfectant and other COVID-related expenses, Fayette said.

Fayette noted telethon organizers had to decide in January whether they would be virtual or in-person, and they opted with the virtual event.

“In January, we still didn’t know where we could be with COVID and what would be happening,” Fayette said about deciding whether to host an in-person telethon. “We could not ask people to put themselves, their family or children in harm’s way.”

Planning for the virtual telethon is smoother this year as opposed to last year because they had time to plan for the virtual event, Fayette said.

“Hopefully, next year we’ll all be able to return to the in-person telethon,” Fayette said.

Fayette said she and the staff remain positive.

“It’s been a fun year and we finally get to do something a little bit different and we’ve really enjoyed planning it,” Fayette said.

Set to begin Sunday and end March 27, the virtual event offers many ways community members can participate in the fundraising this year, she said.

“We ended up making $175,000 from last year’s telethon, and all things considered, that was good for us,” Fayette said.

This year’s telethon goal is to raise $350,000.

Now, more than ever, the Center needs community support which can be provided in several ways, Fayette said.

Individuals can also text “KRCC” to 71777 to make a donation, and a link to make the donation will be texted back to the donor. Donations may also be made at https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/KRCC.

Participating in the online auction is another way to help raise funds for the Center, Fayette noted.

There are over 200 items up for bid in the online auction, and a preview of auction items began this past week. Bidding on all items begins at 8 a.m. Sunday, and the auction will close at 3 p.m. March 27.

Individuals will be able to bid from anywhere at anytime on their favorite item. Bidders can sign up anytime for the auction by visiting the following link: https://one.bidpal.net/telethon2021/welcome.

“The really neat thing about Bid Pal is even if you’re doing something else or looking at other items, will automatically alert you when you’ve been outbid,” Fayette said.

New this year the Tri-County Clowns along with the Center have been hosting hosting a pick-up only fish fry every Friday during Lent from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Cost is $12 per plate.

“The fish fries have been going great. People never have to get out of their vehicles. They pull up, we take their money and put their order in their vehicle,” Fayette said.

A “Jail ‘N’ Bail” fundraiser is also taking place with individuals being able to send a friend to KRCC’s “virtual jail.” Once a “bail” is set, fundraising begins. Those who are jailed will be able to send messages to friends to help “bail” them out in the form of donations to the Center.

T-shirts for $15 are also for sale and include a Monopoly-themed design, Fayette said. Also, whiles supplies last, anyone who purchases a T-shirt will receive last year’s telethon shirt, she said.

“We are doing a bit of a live event on March 27,” Fayette said.

The annual Telethon 5K Walk/Run will take place on March 27, she said. Registration is at 9 a.m. with the 5K starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Center. The fee to enter is $25 with T-shirt or $20 without a T-shirt. All participants will be entered in a drawing to receive $100 cash.

“The 5K will start at the Center, and participants will run down to the Field House, turn around and then come back to the Center,” Fayette said. “People may not realize that when we do the 5K from the Field House they run to the Center, turn around and come back — and so we’ve turned the route around this year.”

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 27, the Center will be livestreaming on YouTube, Facebook (krcckids) and its website (www.kennyrogerscenter.org) at the top of every hour. They will showcase the poster children and share information about many of the Center’s programs throughout the day.

“We encourage everyone to tune into Facebook and watch the great stories and progress on the kids we serve,” Fayette said.

Steve Beydler and his Sikeston Career and Technology Center’s digital media class made the videos to tell the Center’s stories about the children and services they receive.

“They were a big help and we appreciate all they did,” Fayette said of Beydler and his class.

Those who are unable to donate at this time can support the Center by sharing their mission with a family or friend or sharing one of KRCC’s social media posts, Fayette said.

“It seems like every year at the telethon and after telethon – people will say: ‘Nobody called me this year,’” Fayette said. “You don’t have to wait get a phone call (to make a donation). Consider yourself asked.”

As the telethon gets underway, Fayette emphasized that the need for the Center and the services it provides never went away during the pandemic — and it never will.

Just because someone may not have a child or relative utilizing the Center doesn’t mean they aren’t impacted by it, Fayette noted. The children who receive services at the Center are part of the community, she said.

For example, a child with sensory issues may respond to sensory overload with a sensory meltdown.

“This child is in your grandchild’s classroom, and that child is going to get behind a car some day and they continue to grow up and work in our community,” Fayette said. “These are behaviors we can make great headway with and get kids in for therapy early on in their lives.

She continued: “The Center doesn’t just impact that kid and their family; it impacts all of us. We just may not be aware of how it impacts us.”

For more information, call the Center at (573) 472-0397; visit the website: www.kennyrogerscenter.org; or Facebook: Kenny Rogers Children’s Center.