Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon PDC

Telethon Talent puts Prairie du Chien on the Map

“Forty-four years speaks volumes for our community-that it’s willing to have this telethon and showcase what Prairie du Chien really is and what we have done.” The never speechless Tom Nelson said this about the Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon and its dedicated committee, talent, and viewers who’ve, together, brought a “breath of fresh air” to the middle of winter and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for medical research since 1976.

“It’s an opportunity to spotlight our youth, our working class and us old-timers who still choose to live in Prairie du Chien. Through that process, We raise a little money,” Nelson added.

The reality is, more than just a little money has been donated. The telethon has amassed over $952,000, in 44 years. Those funds have all contributed to research in the ﬁelds of heart disease and cancer, through medical institutions in La Crosse and Madison, trickling down to Prairie du Chien as Well.

In 2020, the Eagles Telethon will be Saturday, Jan. 25, from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., live from the Bluff View school cafeteria, and broadcast on local Mediacom channel 6 and on YouTube. Visit eaglestelethon.org to access online viewing-—Whether you live afar or are Watching from the comfort of your own home locally.

All are welcome to stop by Bluff View to see the telethon live. Food, treats, and beverages are sold on-site and there’s also side entertainment n addition to the ongoing show,

In addition, throughout the telethon, there will be plenty of activities, such as a dinner and meat rafﬂe, happening at the Eagles Club in Prairie du Chien.

The Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon will celebrate its 45th year in 2020. That’s right – FORTY-FIVE years!
The success of the telethon has always been the people, all with extraordinary abilities. The ability to plan, to work together, to make us laugh or cry, sing, dance, or play an instrument. The people, who, year after year, have made donations of time, donations from pennies to thousands of dollars. The Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon has always been about the outstanding teams of researchers and doctors who fight for a cure each and every day.
Jim Lovel, Jr. a former NASA astronaut, the commander of Apollo 13 mission has said,”There are people who make things happen, there are people who watch things happen and there are people who wonder what happened. To be successful, we have to be people who make things happen.” The people of the telethon make things happen; managing the phones, setting the stage, getting talent, preparing snacks, writing scripts, providing video and audio, and a myriad of other tasks. These doers see problems as challenges they can overcome.
The goal of the Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon is to raise money for research that may lead to a cure. The people of the Eagles Telethon share their talents so that the people watching donate to the cause. Sharing involves reciprocal giving. Research is full of the benefits of giving. In his book Why Good Things Happen to Good People, Stephen Post, a professor of preventative medicine at Stony Brook University, writes that giving to others has been shown to increase health benefits in people with chronic illness, including HIV and multiple sclerosis. And Sonja Lyubomirsky, a happiness researcher at the University of California, Riverside, argues that giving can become contagious, moving from the personal to one’s community. “Being kind and generous leads you to perceive others more positively and more charitably,” she writes in The How of Happiness, and this “fosters a heightened sense of interdependence and cooperation in your social community.”
Join in the fun and excitement of the 45th Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon on January 25, 2020, starting at 5 p.m. at Bluff View School. Watch your friends, neighbors, and people of the community sharing their unique abilities, Help to make this the best telethon, so far.

Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon 2020

2019

Telethon planning is underway. With the theme of "We are Among Friends", The 2020 Telethon will be January 25, 2020, at Bluff View Middle School starting at 5pm. It will be broadcast on MediaCom Channel 6 and streamed on YouTube.

Every year, the objective of the Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon is to raise just $1 toward cardiology and cancer research. Though, truly, by the end of the eight-hour, local broadcast tradition, a figure much larger than that is reflected on the fundraising board.

“We are very proud of that number. People always want to know that total. That’s their connection to what their $10, in memory of grandma, went toward,” professed Tom Nelson, telethon co-host and esteemed Prairie du Chien personality. “The part of this that makes the entire telethon so special—from the viewer to the contributor to the participant—is that every little bit makes a difference from our little corner of the world.”

The annual event is always anticipated because of its time-honored, small-town talent, yet it has kept up with the times of technology and each generation’s natural aptitude, Nelson pointed out.

“We have polished the format over the years, but the fact that it’s not a perfected, live show is what draws people in,” he said. “I like to think we’ve been able to keep current with the world around us, but it’s the same style of show that started over 44 years ago.”

Nelson shared his enthusiasm about the new foundation of volunteers joining the efforts to plan and organize the telethon each year and participate by performing on air. He believes new blood is what’s going to help carry the event to raising $1 million and more for cardiology and cancer research. He recognized people such as Bob and Sharon Linzenmeyer, Melody Igou, Mike Stram, Dillon Petrowitz, Natalie Stram and Dan Moris for stepping up to help.

In addition to these newer volunteers, he listed notables the telethon wouldn’t be the same without, including Richard Hagensick and Mark Oehler of Mediacom; Tom Licht of CenturyLink; Talent coordinators Ruth Taylor, Kathy Atkins and Cathie Nelson; auction and phone organizers Joan Paulson, Ev Dow and Brenda Mimms; caricaturist John Mundt; the local Boy Scouts who sell concessions on-site; performers such as Gretchen Faulkner, the Ding-A-Lings and Autumn Kivi; and website coordinator Randy Paske.

Nelson is also proud of the recurrent staples that have added pizzazz to the telethon, such as “Danny’s Moment,” during which the late Danny Ruehlow is remembered; “Looking Up Your Back Door,” a technology moment; the Tom & Tom Show; the Tree of Hope, through which those currently battling cancer are acknowledged; and the symbolic Memory Wall coordinated by the Prairie du Chien High School Student Council.

“Everybody’s got a jar of pennies or coins they can bring down to the telethon,” Nelson stated. “That gives people a way to get involved in this small community cause. Once the money leaves our hands, it’s directly deposited into the hands of organizations that can start planning research. It’s really touching to know the difference we can make.”

Having local youth like the Girl Scouts participate in the telethon is part of the organizers’ strategy to continue the longevity this fundraiser has had in the Prairie du Chien community. Entertainment, stories and hard-earned funds have made an enormous difference in heart and cancer research through several key medical institutions across the region.

Gretchen Faulkner is the epitome of the annual Prairie du Chien telethon. She’s demonstrated her love of dancing and singing during the live broadcast for most of her life. She exemplifies the joy the telethon can bring to audiences locally and far away—the happiness and good memories it’s brought viewers for 44 years now.

The Prairie du Chien High School wrestlers have been a staple on the Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon for many of its recent years with their popular Pushups for Pennies fundraiser. They perform their promised pushups in front of the memory wall each time and, this year was part of the $46,697 that was pledged by the time the broadcast went off the air.

Lucy Anderson and Betty Cejka enjoyed a dance on the telethon stage as host and friend Tom Nelson looked on.

Maureen Dembski, Director of Development at UW Cardiovascular Research Center in Madison, Wisconsin, sent these terrific YouTube videos about their programs. Take a look.