Christmas Daddies Telethon gears up for golden anniversary

Christmas Daddies 2014 calendars are now on sale at all Lawtons Drugs stores in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, at a cost of $15 each plus tax.

The 50^th Annual Christmas Daddies Telethon is set for Sunday December 1, 2013 on CTV and CTV Two.

The Christmas Daddies Telethon is turning fifty this year! Over the past 49 years, we’ve raised more than 28 million dollars for Maritime children in need during the holiday season.

The Telethon will include the Christmas spirit, fun and excitement people have come to expect from the much-loved Christmas Daddies show. This year, we’re adding a new element to Halifax’s live broadcast: our musical acts will be performed in front of a live studio audience at NSCC Waterfront Campus located at 80 Mawiomi Place in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The general public is welcome to enjoy these live performances. NSCC students will have activities for our guests to enjoy. Admission is free but cash donations will be gratefully accepted.

“Christmas Daddies is a Maritime tradition and we at CTV are honored to be part of this tradition. The show is about spreading hope in a time of need.  Year after year the amount of support from the community is growing and it warms our hearts. Without all of you, the Telethon would not be what it is today and we are grateful for your support,” says Michael Elgie, Vice-President and General Manager of CTV Atlantic.

Canada AM’s Jeff Hutcheson joins CTV anchors Steve Murphy, Maria Panopalis and Bruce Frisko in Halifax, alongside colleagues Cindy Day, Tina Simpkin, Jayson Baxter, Heidi Petracek and Ana Almeida. Cyril Lunney will host segments broadcast from Moncton, while Rick Grant will host in Sydney.

The program will feature fabulous musical acts from around the region. In Halifax, Canadian Country Music Association Male Artist of the Year Dean Brody and Chad Doucette will perform on the NSCC talent stage, while iconic performers Matt Minglewood and The Barra MacNeils take the stage in Sydney. In Moncton, look forward to performances from local musician Ivan Daigle and Catherine MacLellan from PEI. Big ticket auction items will be featured by Steve & Scrooge at the main auction desk, or check out Daddies' online auction, with autographed celebrity items and lots more.

“Bell Aliant employees and Bell Aliant Pioneers have a special connection with the Christmas Daddies Telethon,” said Kevin Fournier, Bell Aliant Regional Vice President of Sales, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. “For the hundreds of employees and retirees who volunteer to accept phone pledges, the telethon signals the beginning of the holiday season and is another opportunity to make a meaningful difference for families in the communities where we live and work.”

Viewers can support Christmas Daddies by donating during the Telethon. As well, our popular large-format calendars are now for sale at all Lawton’s Drugs stores across NS, NB and PEI.

The funds raised through the Christmas Daddies Telethon provide gifts, clothing and food for less-fortunate children and their families during the Christmas season. The Christmas Daddies partnership with The Salvation Army provides over 17,000 Maritime children with toys and gifts at Christmas.

On Sunday, December 1st viewers can watch the combined Halifax, Moncton and Sydney telethon live from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on  CTV and from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on CTV Two. Viewers can also check out the live webcast on Bell Aliant Community One.

Visit our website at www.christmasdaddies.org.

For more information please contact:

Roxanne Robinson, Executive Director Christmas Daddies    902-454-3232