IN Fox Chapel Area Spring 2017 | Page 21

TELETHON BREAKS RECORD AGAIN

TELETHON BREAKS RECORD AGAIN

Members of the high school student government presented a donation check for Live Like Lou .

Fox Chapel Area School District students held their 27 th annual telethon December 23 , 2016 . This year ’ s telethon total of nearly $ 72,000 broke last year ’ s record-breaking total . This brings the money raised by Fox Chapel Area students to more than $ 770,000 over the last 27 years for various local and regional charities .

For the second year in a row , the telethon raised money for Live Like Lou , which was founded by two parents ( Suzanne and Neil Alexander ) in the Fox Chapel Area School District to help ALS ( commonly known as Lou Gehrig ’ s disease ) patients and their families in Western Pennsylvania . This year ’ s total also included a contribution of $ 25,000 from an anonymous donor who works for Mr . Alexander ’ s former employer , Hefren‐Tillotson . This anonymous donation was made in celebration of Fox Chapel Area School District ’ s efforts for Live Like Lou .
The telethon involved students from all six schools . Mrs . Alexander appeared as part of the telethon and Pittsburgh Pirates skipper Clint Hurdle shared a video message . Fox Chapel Area students also shared a video from a visit to the Live Like Lou Center for ALS Research at the University of Pittsburgh . The telethon is coordinated by the marketing / management and
The marketing / management students sponsored games and food was available in the high school commons area , with all of the proceeds benefitting Live Like Lou .
Representatives from the Dorseyville Middle School Student Government presented their school ’ s $ 5,372 contribution on the air . Each of the district ’ s six schools participated in fundraising efforts for Live Like Lou .
television production students of the high school who plan and produce the event .
For the first time the telethon was available in high definition and was streamed live on the Swift Fox Media YouTube channel . It was also broadcast on cable television .

ox Chapel Area FOX CHAPEL AREA SCHOOL NEWS

Suzanne Alexander was interviewed by the television production students during the telethon . She and her husband Neil , who passed away from ALS in 2015 , cofounded Live Like Lou in 2012 . The Fox Chapel Area School District telethon is the second largest fundraiser for the organization .
The telethon is planned and produced by the marketing / management students , under the direction of business education teacher Jill Tabis , and the television production students , under the direction of media teacher Ryan Devlin .
Fox Chapel Area | Spring 2017 | icmags . com 19