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The 22nd annual Dick Purtan Radiothon to support the Salvation Army's Bed and Bread program in Metro Detroit gathered over $2.2 million dollars in pledges over the 16 hours the event aired from Oakland Mall in Troy on WOMC-FM 104.3. Thanks to an amazing level of support from the community, the event far exceeded what host Purtan predicted as a final total.
A steady parade of celebrities, political and community leaders and area businesses along with hourly incentives kept the hourly totals growing throughout the day and helps the Salvation Army feed and shelter metro Detroiters in need for another year.
In its 22 years the Bed and Bread Radiothon has now raised over $21 million dollars and is the most successful one-day local fundraising effort in the radio industry.
To put this event into some perspective, the day prior to this fundraiser at the Oakland Mall, there was a "Help the Children" Radiothon in New York City. It was hosted by trade publication Variety and aired on 50,000 watt WOR radio. In this troubled economy, they were thrilled to reach a final tally of $240,000. In Detroit, Dick Purtan topped that amount within his first four hours on the air!
