Rehab rumble: Supporters were ready to, giving a record $1.63M during Saturday's telethon

It has been said, for years, that when the West Texas Rehabilitation Center stages its annual telethon, the stars come out.

On Saturday night, so did the checkbooks.

Or, in this age, online pledges.

After two great years, including a record $1.54 million haul on its 50th anniversary, Rehab 2022 set a new standard with $1.63 million raised at the 52nd annual event. This follows $1.46 raised in 2021, despite a pandemic.

That's more than $4.6 million raised the past three years.

The annual telethon and auction hit $1 million for the 27th straight year early enough, but the total just kept rising.

The total posted after midnight, when the five-hour televised event at the Abilene Convention Center ended, was $1,625,809.

The headliners were the country band Sawyer Brown, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, newcomer Gabby Barrett and Cross Plains' own Ariel Hutchins.

Longtime telethon participant Red Steagall and his band added to the musical evening.

Among the highlights was Barrett getting the audiences to sing along to the Dolly Parton hit "Jolene."

The stories of Rehab Center success were told. There are facilities in San Angelo and Ozona, in addition to the founding site in southwest Abilene.

New this year, just in time for the Winter Olympics, was an Olympic Village set up at the Convention Center for youngsters, who could play hockey or ride a mechanical bull. That may not be an official Olympic sport - yet - but it was fun.

The musical lineup was challenged to reach recent heights attained by singer Neal McCoy and his co-headliners, and did so.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Rehab supporters give a record $1.63M during Saturday's telethon