Maritimers opened their hearts and wallets on the weekend, raising a whopping $5,877,139.53 million at the 29th annual IWK Telethon for Children.

The total breaks last year’s record of $5.6 million.

“Once again, generous Maritimers have stepped up for the IWK and have declared it as a special place and an absolute priority for our families,” says Jennifer Gillivan, President and CEO of the IWK Foundation.

“Donations fund excellence at the IWK, and Maritimers deserve excellence. We are so appreciative that donors make this possible.”

The 29th annual IWK Telethon, which aired Saturday night and all day Sunday on CTV, has become a springtime tradition and many Maritimers work hard all year to fundraise for the event.

Chelsea Munroe set up a lemonade stand and donated all the proceeds to the IWK.

“So kids have all the stuff they need, so, if they’re really sick, they have the stuff they need,” she says.

Funds raised through the telethon will help purchase critical equipment, such as a Central Monitoring System for the Emergency Department and an Echocardiography Workstation for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

It will also provide funding for essential programs that support IWK patients and families such as Child Life, Spiritual Health and Bilingual Services.

“We’re a relatively small part of the world, with only 1.7 million people, but we insist on having world-class health care,” says CTV’s Steve Murphy, who hosted the telethon.

This year, for the first time, the telethon was streamed online so Maritimers around the world could tune in. Organizers say they saw a jump in online donations, which were likely boosted by the livestream.

“Whether they’re on their smartphone or whether they’re online, you want to reach them so that’s why we wanted to do this,” says Gillivan. “We also wanted to reach further than our borders because we know there are so many Maritimers out there who love the IWK and have a connection but they live in other countries.”

Social media also played a significant role in this year’s event, with the hashtag #IWKTelethon mentioned in over 3,000 tweets, from places as far away as the United Kingdom and Australia.

Aside from raising money for the hospital, the telethon also shines a light on the patients and their families. Viewers were treated to inspirational stories about children who continue to defy the odds and work every day to overcome their health struggles.

“Those stories, they need to be told,” says CTV meteorologist Cindy Day. “They are heart-wrenching, but they are true stories about the amazing work being done at the IWK. It is absolutely incredible, the work that they do.”

Former patient Rebecca Boyd dropped by the telethon and shared her story. Boyd spent six weeks at the IWK for a kidney disorder.

“The IWK is like a second home to me. Even my siblings love coming here. It’s just an amazing place filled with lovely people,” she says.

Donations can still be made to the IWK Health Centre Foundation by calling toll free 1-800-595-2266 or online.