Arctic League fundraiser: How to watch TV and radio broadcast, make donations

Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette
·2 min read

The Arctic League, which provides Christmas gifts for Chemung County's needy children and families, set an ambitious fundraising goal for this year, and the event that typically generates the biggest share of donations is coming up this weekend.

The Arctic League broadcast will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, and as with other aspects of the annual appeal, there will be fundamental changes to the usual format to meet COVID-19 safety guidelines.

The broadcast will still be presented at the Clemens Center in Elmira, but instead of originating from Powers Theater, it will be moved to the smaller Mandeville Hall due to a contractual obligation that will make Powers Theater unavailable.

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Due to safety protocols and limited space at Mandeville Hall, all musical performances and entertainers will be prerecorded.

During the broadcast, viewers will still be encouraged to call in pledges, which will be read on-air by Arctic League board members.

How to listen or watch the Arctic League broadcast

Readers and telephone operators normally located at Mandeville Hall will be in the WETM-TV studio.

The broadcast will be carried live on WETM and WENY-TV and on radio stations WENY, WELM, WPHD, and WEHH.

Arctic League directors Tom Bruner, left and Bernadette Cleary Drew, center, join 2019 Bell Ringer Lylie Colunio as they bring to a close the 2019 Arctic League fundraiser broadcast at the Clemens Center.
Arctic League directors Tom Bruner, left and Bernadette Cleary Drew, center, join 2019 Bell Ringer Lylie Colunio as they bring to a close the 2019 Arctic League fundraiser broadcast at the Clemens Center.

How to donate to the Arctic League

To donate to the Arctice League, send your contribution to Arctic League, PO Box 113, Elmira, NY, 14902. Or use the PayPal link at arcticleague.com/donate. Go to the website to sign up for gift bags.

Fundraising goal increased to $130K

The Arctic League set a fundraising goal of $130,000 this year, up from the $125,000 raised last year.

The higher fund drive goal reflects an anticipated increase in need due to the pandemic, Arctic League board President Michael Wayne said during the Nov. 16 opening of the "Big Book" to officially launch this year's campaign.

The Arctic League saw about a 10% increase in the number of families and children it served last year, and a similar increase is expected this year, Wayne said.

The organization expects to provide gift bags for nearly 3,000 Chemung County children in 2021.

Rather than deliver gift bags early Christmas morning, volunteers will line up at Arctic League headquarters to pick those bags for distribution on Christmas Eve.

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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Arctic League broadcast 2021: How to watch, donate money