Plum High School's 13th Annual Make-A-Wish Telethon A Success

Since Thanksgiving, Plum High School students have been preparing for the district's biggest television event.

Each year, the high school students produce, direct and star in a six-hour long telethon to raise money for the organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening conditions.

On Friday, students and several guests filmed the 13th annual event, and announced the district had raised about $40,550 for the organization since the beginning of the school year.

Throughout the year, each school in the district has been holding fundraisers to benefit Make-A-Wish. Segments highlighting those fundraisers, as well as interviews with local officials, and Pittsburgh celebrities and mascots are featured during the telethon.

Senior Kyle Dawson, telethon producer, said students have been working hard for a month straight to ensure the telethon was a success.

"The day after Thanksgiving, we were at school until 6:30 p.m. preparing the scripts," he said. "Then, we worked on sets and the lower-thirds. It's a lot of work.

"The preparation is the hardest part, but it's our biggest project. The satisfaction of being able to help so many people make it worth the effort."

The show aired live within the district's TV system and will air twice a day on Comcast Cable Channel 23 and Verizon Cable Channel 28 during the holiday break.

Senior Brandon McCallum was one of the many students working the control room—the glue of the production. He said the telethon is a worthwhile event.

"It sort of gives Plum our five minutes of fame because we are such a good Make-A-Wish school. Plum and Make-A-Wish go hand in hand."

School board member Joe Tommarello was a student working the telethon two short years ago. On Friday, he watched proudly from a seat in the audience.

"This is a proud moment for me," he said. "Plum is the number one school supporter of Make-A-Wish. It's great to see it come together from year to year.

"Everyone should be proud of what these students do to help make wishes come true."

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