Local & State Headlines

Station helping St. Jude

Susan McCord

ALBANY — An Albany radio station is donating two full days of airtime starting today to the betterment of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and Friday, K-Country 104.5-FM will host a radiothon to raise money for the hospital, which treats seriously ill children from around the U.S. at no charge, K-Country personality Dottie Davis said.

“It’s the most unique program I’ve ever worked with,” said Davis, who has visited the hospital campus in Memphis, Tenn. “They can’t wait to show you what they did with your money.”

About 85 percent of every dollar given to St. Jude goes directly to the children’s care, Davis said.

The station has high expectations for this year’s radiothon. Last year’s event was cut short by March 1 tornadoes that struck Sumter, Baker and other counties in the station’s coverage area at the end of the first day, she said.

Autographed items such as a guitar signed by members of the band Sugarland and concert tickets will be raffled to listeners who become “Partners in Hope,” agreeing to donate every month to St. Jude, Davis said.

The hospital helps people like Wade Scott of Albany.

As a teenager in Chattanooga, Tenn., Scott was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. For nearly two years, St. Jude treated his cancer with chemotherapy and radiation, covering all his family’s expenses.

“I’ve been a survivor for 16 years now,” said Scott, 34. “The kids that go through there and come out of there have a life-changing experience.

“They have such as true appreciation for life. Most of them go on to bigger and better things. It just inspires them to get as much out of life as possible.”

Since he graduated from college, Scott has donated monthly to St. Jude, he said.

“I started giving because of what they did for me,” he said. “Now I do it because I have an 11-year-old girl of my own. I just couldn’t imagine dealing with what my parents had to deal with.

“To have something like that just come in and give you the sense that you don’t need to worry — it’s worth well more than $20 or $30 a month.”

More Headlines>>