Riley Radio Days Still On For This Week, With Some Changes
March 17, 2020 at 3:07 a.m.
Riley Radio Days Still On For This Week, With Some Changes
By David [email protected]
“We are going to be responsible to what is happening in the world today, but we are still going to be able to do this in a way that is compelling for people, and, obviously, we hope that everyone is safe and everyone is able to pass on the blessings that they have to Riley families from Kosciusko County and to Riley Hospital, which does so much for the state,” said Michael Bergen, co-founder of the KC Riley Kids Fund.
The ninth annual event raises money for the Kosciusko County Riley Kids Fund, which provides assistance for families from the county who are traveling back and forth from Riley Hospital for Children, as well as supports Riley Hospital. During the two-day radio event, families share their stories about Riley.
Riley Radio Days is Thursday and Friday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to Bergen. The other co-founder is Alan Alderfer. The Fund is part of the Kosciusko County Community Foundation. Instead of volunteers working the phone lines, radio employees will handle them.
107.3 WRSW Operations Manager Kris Lake said it will feature 15 to 18 different families that have come in and pre-recorded their stories for the two-day fundraiser.
“Pre-recorded kind of sounds worse than it is. What it has allowed us to do is really hear their full story without being cut off or having to run out of time. Timing wise, we can fit it in a lot better because we have more control over making sure their whole story is told,” Lake said. “So they’ve come in this year and the last two years, as well.”
Bergen said they have some new stories this year that were recorded before the coronavirus emergency, but there will be some stories people have heard in past years as well, with updates when possible. He said some stories haven’t changed, while in some cases the children have passed.
Lake said, “So what we’ve done is, not only are there stories told on the air, but we’ve turned a lot of the stories into songs as well. So we’ll take popular songs and we’ll put their stories to the music. And it kinds of adds a little bit more emotion, I think. It really helps tell the story in musical form, too, because we’re on a radio station that plays music. It helps the flow of the day, too, because all of a sudden you hear a song you know and love and then there’s a story that is a part of the song.”
Another important part of Riley Radio Days, Bergen said, is letting people know how they can access the Riley Kids Fund. He said people can call the help center at the K21 Health Services Pavilion at 574-372-3500.
“That’s been one of the unintended blessings of Riley Radio Days, is that, it’s helped us obviously to raise a lot of money for the KC Riley Kids Fund, but it’s also helped us to connect with a lot of local families who have been able to access the fund. So that’s important,” Bergen said.
To donate to the Riley Kids Fund, people can call 574-268-HOPE (4673); or visit online at 1073wrsw.com. A donation box also will be set up right outside the radio station at 216 W. Market St., Warsaw, where a person can give in person.
“So they’ll be able to donate without actually coming in contact with anybody,” Bergen said.
Last year, about $84,000 was raised for the Riley Kids Fund.
Lake said, “The goal of Riley Radio Days is to tell local families’ stories, which we are still going to do; to educate people on the KC Riley Kids Fund, which we are still going to do; and it’s to raise money for the Fund, which we are still going to do. So I think we’re still accomplishing all three parts of that triangle, but doing it safety and trying to keep the community safe, too, as hard as it’s going to be. But we push forward and move on, because it’s for the kids.”
“We are going to be responsible to what is happening in the world today, but we are still going to be able to do this in a way that is compelling for people, and, obviously, we hope that everyone is safe and everyone is able to pass on the blessings that they have to Riley families from Kosciusko County and to Riley Hospital, which does so much for the state,” said Michael Bergen, co-founder of the KC Riley Kids Fund.
The ninth annual event raises money for the Kosciusko County Riley Kids Fund, which provides assistance for families from the county who are traveling back and forth from Riley Hospital for Children, as well as supports Riley Hospital. During the two-day radio event, families share their stories about Riley.
Riley Radio Days is Thursday and Friday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to Bergen. The other co-founder is Alan Alderfer. The Fund is part of the Kosciusko County Community Foundation. Instead of volunteers working the phone lines, radio employees will handle them.
107.3 WRSW Operations Manager Kris Lake said it will feature 15 to 18 different families that have come in and pre-recorded their stories for the two-day fundraiser.
“Pre-recorded kind of sounds worse than it is. What it has allowed us to do is really hear their full story without being cut off or having to run out of time. Timing wise, we can fit it in a lot better because we have more control over making sure their whole story is told,” Lake said. “So they’ve come in this year and the last two years, as well.”
Bergen said they have some new stories this year that were recorded before the coronavirus emergency, but there will be some stories people have heard in past years as well, with updates when possible. He said some stories haven’t changed, while in some cases the children have passed.
Lake said, “So what we’ve done is, not only are there stories told on the air, but we’ve turned a lot of the stories into songs as well. So we’ll take popular songs and we’ll put their stories to the music. And it kinds of adds a little bit more emotion, I think. It really helps tell the story in musical form, too, because we’re on a radio station that plays music. It helps the flow of the day, too, because all of a sudden you hear a song you know and love and then there’s a story that is a part of the song.”
Another important part of Riley Radio Days, Bergen said, is letting people know how they can access the Riley Kids Fund. He said people can call the help center at the K21 Health Services Pavilion at 574-372-3500.
“That’s been one of the unintended blessings of Riley Radio Days, is that, it’s helped us obviously to raise a lot of money for the KC Riley Kids Fund, but it’s also helped us to connect with a lot of local families who have been able to access the fund. So that’s important,” Bergen said.
To donate to the Riley Kids Fund, people can call 574-268-HOPE (4673); or visit online at 1073wrsw.com. A donation box also will be set up right outside the radio station at 216 W. Market St., Warsaw, where a person can give in person.
“So they’ll be able to donate without actually coming in contact with anybody,” Bergen said.
Last year, about $84,000 was raised for the Riley Kids Fund.
Lake said, “The goal of Riley Radio Days is to tell local families’ stories, which we are still going to do; to educate people on the KC Riley Kids Fund, which we are still going to do; and it’s to raise money for the Fund, which we are still going to do. So I think we’re still accomplishing all three parts of that triangle, but doing it safety and trying to keep the community safe, too, as hard as it’s going to be. But we push forward and move on, because it’s for the kids.”
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092