Our History

The Prairie du Chien Eagles Club Heart and Cancer Telethon began in 1976, when community leaders launched the first broadcast and raised $3,200 for life‑saving heart and cancer research. In those early years, the telethon was held in the building that now houses Mediacom, and gifts ranged from $3,200 to $4,400 as the event began to build momentum.

As community support grew, the telethon moved to B.A. Kennedy in 1981 to make room for larger crowds and a bigger night of giving, and donations that year climbed to $6,600—more than double the first year’s total. By 1993, community generosity pushed the event past the $10,000 mark in a single night; by 1998, contributions reached $20,000, and by 2003, annual giving rose to $30,000.

Over the last decade, especially since the move to Bluff View in 2000, yearly donations have typically ranged between $30,000 and $40,000. In 2016 alone, donors contributed $43,723, bringing the 42‑year cumulative total at that point to $810,566 devoted to advancing heart and cancer research—and the overall lifetime total has since surpassed the one‑million‑dollar milestone.

Once again, the telethon will kick off with great energy at 5 p.m. on the last Saturday in January, welcoming a live studio audience of about 50–60 people, along with many more watching on Mediacom Channel 6 and via a YouTube livestream. Viewers are warmly encouraged to tune in, enjoy the local talent, and make a generous donation to support cutting‑edge cardiovascular and cancer research that directly impacts patients and families.

The guiding philosophy remains simple: if the telethon raises even one dollar more than the year before, it is considered a success, because every additional gift brings researchers one step closer to better treatments, earlier diagnoses, and renewed hope. The annual Eagles Heart and Cancer Telethon, hosted by Prairie du Chien Eagles #1502, has now raised hundreds of thousands of dollars—ultimately more than a million—demonstrating the remarkable power of a small community united in giving.

Dedicated volunteers and performers, donating countless hours behind the scenes and on stage, are at the heart of this effort. Their unwavering commitment, compassion, and creativity continue to inspire the community to give, and to improve and expand the telethon year after year, turning each donation—no matter the size—into meaningful progress in the fight against heart disease and cancer