It’s crunch time for Penn-Trafford High School’s video production class.
The class of 26 students is in the final days of piecing together its 4½-hour broadcast raising money for Make-A-Wish — a nonprofit that grants experiences to children with critical medical conditions.
“We’re putting a puzzle together, but we’re missing a lot of pieces right now. And all of the pieces are on back order and they all come in on the same day,” said teacher Steve Vinton, referencing a white board detailing the content his students still have to film.
This is the seventh year the class has hosted the telethon, slated for Dec. 19.
It features student-produced news packages, videos highlighting yearlong community fundraising efforts, musical performances, commercials for local businesses and in-studio guests.
A QR code on the screen throughout the production directs viewers to donate to Make-A-Wish.
Community effort
But much of the fundraising and content for the telethon takes place throughout the Penn Township community prior to the production, Vinton said.
The middle schools host a dodgeball tournament in the spring — which generated nearly $21,000 earlier this year. High school teachers donate to partake in dress down Thursdays and Fridays throughout November and December.
Local businesses pay to run advertisements during the production, and elementary students offer up their vocal talents to be recorded and played during the broadcast.
Trafford Middle School student Lucas Barnes is directing his family’s Christmas light show to support Make-A-Wish, Vinton said.
An elaborate Christmas light display fills the front yard of the family’s home along Gornik Road. The lights are synchronized with music on a local radio frequency, which cars can play when they pause to view the display. A sign nestled among the lights features a QR code viewers can scan to donate.
By the end of last year’s telethon, Penn-Trafford raised $65,133 — enough to fund about wishes for about 13 children. Vinton hopes to see a similar or increased total this year.
“As far as what PTTV does, we sold some advertising and we raised a little bit of money. The overwhelming majority comes from everywhere else,” Vinton said, “and all we do is shine the light on the philanthropic nature of Penn-Trafford in the community. It’s just really cool to see every year — year in, year out.”
Donation significance
The West Virginia-Pennsylvania chapter of Make-A-Wish raised nearly $339,500 last year through its Kids for Wish Kids program — which compiles donations generated by schools, said development coordinator Taylor Goodman.
Penn-Trafford’s donations made up more than 19% of that total, she said.
“I think it is everything,” Goodman said of the telethon, “because it goes directly back to our mission, which is ‘Together, we can create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.’
“They’re bringing in everybody in their community, which is amazing,” she said. “Their entire school district actually raises money all throughout the year.”
Wish recipients must be between 2½ and 18 years old, said spokesperson Dana Antkowiak. The nonprofit supports children with life-threatening illnesses like cancer, severe epilepsy, motor seizures and complex congenital heart defects.
Wishes typically fall in one of five categories, Antkowiak said — travel, a gift, meeting a celebrity, working a dream job or directing the funds to help others.
Behind the scenes
That’s what keeps senior Bryn Urban motivated when telethon preparation becomes stressful.
As one of the broadcasts’ producers, Urban is responsible for one hour of the production.
“From top to bottom, every single thing in that hour is their responsibility,” Vinton said. “The script, every word, every second, every commercial break, every guest, you name it.”
Urban even taught herself how to use Adobe After Effects to create an animation to be played in the opening of the production.
“It’s rewarding,” Urban said, “because knowing you contributed to a kid’s wish makes you happy.”
For senior Julianne Fontano, the payoff for the hard work lies in watching her community rally around a charitable cause.
“I also think it brings the community together,” Fontano said. “Everybody loves to watch the telethon.”
From driving to local elementary schools to film content to seemingly endless hours of editing, working on the telethon has given junior Delaney Price an appreciation for live broadcasting.
Featured Local Businesses
“(I learned) how important each process is — every little thing,” Price said. “Not just look at it and be like, ‘Oh, that looks cool’ like how a lot of students might look at it. I’m like, ‘That took so long.”
Learning how to balance telethon prep with the rest of her homework load, sophomore Juliet Mastroianni has her time management system down pat.
“What I do is I kind of make a list of things that need done now and things that I can kind of, not put off, but ‘OK, this doesn’t need my immediate attention,’” she said.
Also a producer for the telethon, Mastroianni is most nervous about directing an hour of the broadcast.
“That’s scary,” she said. “It’s already scary enough having to do it for 10 minutes every morning.”
No matter what stressors come their way, Vinton reminds his students of the end goal.
“I just remind them to think about what it’s going to feel like when it’s done, why we do this,” he said. “And that right there is enough for them to rally when they’re stressed.”