A lasting legacy: Radiothon in tribute of late station founder raises funds for Dartmouth hospital
A small community radio station in Nova Scotia is playing a big part in a fundraiser for the Dartmouth General Hospital, despite the untimely death of the station’s founder.
At this year’s radiothon in support of the Dartmouth General Hospital, a special recognition is being given to Wayne Harrett, the founder of the local radio station who passed away this summer.
“We just finished a tribute hour to Wayne Harrett. This whole radiothon is really in memory of him,” said Stephen Harding, CEO of the Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation.
The Dartmouth General was special to the Harrett family, as Wayne was a patient there for seven weeks before he died on Aug. 14 at the age of 60, after a long battle with cancer.
Despite his death, the fundraiser is continuing on Seaside FM, the radio station that began out of Harrett's Eastern Passage home in 2002.
“He talked about it in the summer and said how much he wanted to be a part of it this year but knew he wouldn’t be. So he’d be very happy to know it was going on and it’s working out well today,” says Wayne’s sister Cindy Harrett.
Last year, the radiothon raised just under $50,000- this year, they reached that amount by early afternoon.
“We are getting lots of phone calls in memory of Wayne. It’s been fantastic,” says Harding. “Everyone loves Wayne, and what a great tribute for him.”
Organizers say the radiothon is coming at a crucial time for the Hospital’s Foundation, as the COVID-19 pandemic has made fundraising initiatives difficult.
“In the last two years we’ve really had to change how we fundraise. We used to gather people for lobster dinners, golf tournaments. Those were completely cancelled for in-person events in 2020,” says Kiana Pace, marketing and communications officer for the Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation. “We were able to bring back a modified version this year with some virtual and some in-person components.”
Local musicians are also contributing to the cause, such as Dave Carroll, who dropped by the radio station’s Eastern Passage studio for a live performance.
“These type of initiatives that get the word out and let people know what they can expect and the standard of care at the Dartmouth general is really high it’s something that I think is worth celebrating,” Carroll says.
The radiothon also celebrated Harrett’s love of radio.
After being told to give up his dreams of being on-air because of a speech impediment, Harrett started his own station from his Eastern Passage home.
Next year, 105.9 FM will celebrate its 20th anniversary, and the partnership with Dartmouth General will continue, just as Wayne would have wanted.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.