The 59th annual Christmas Daddies Telethon raises over $600,000
The 59th annual Christmas Daddies telethon continued its Maritimes tradition Saturday.
Over the last two and a half years, the pandemic has changed how the Christmas Daddies Telethon runs. However, the annual fundraiser remains a symbol of holiday cheer and the spirit of giving.
This year, the telethon has so far raised more than $608,000.
The show featured various talents from across the region that performed throughout the seven-hour show.
“So many really big names from across the region really step it up. They donate their time and also donate what they can,” said CTV’s Katie Kelly.
Viewers also heard from American film actress, Morgan Fairchild who encouraged Maritimers to donate.
In Halifax, the Fleet Diving Unit (FDU) set up a donation centre in several different locations. While they were unable to run their annual 50K around Halifax, they continued the tradition in Sheet Harbour.
“There’s just over a hundred of us at FDU and we wanted a good way to give back and this is a perfect way,” said diver Bradley Northrup. “This is a perfect way for all the money we raise to stay in our communities.”
In P.E.I., the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce organized the largest Christmas Daddies day event on the Island. Donations were accepted at the door and included a space for children to have fun and meet Santa.
“There’s been a lot of interest and questions as we promoted this, so I think it’s really increased awareness in the city,” said Jessica Cormier, the events and marketing manager of Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce.
From volunteers on the phones to those in the control room behind the scenes, hundreds of volunteers keep the seven-hour broadcast going.
“So many people are calling in, and that itself is impressive, but then you see the incredible amount of work and people like me running around behind the scenes to make that work… it’s awesome,” said volunteer Gwen Watt.
Despite these difficult times, the kindness and generosity of Maritimers shines through.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
New one-and-done therapy can help curb severe COVID-19 infection: Canadian-led study
A Canadian-led study of a new potential antiviral therapy shows a single dose can help cut the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

Are video games good for kids' brains or bad for them? New research suggests the answer is 'neither'
A small new study has found that neither the frequency of daily gaming reported by pre-teen children nor the specific video game genres they chose to play were linked with their performance on a standardized cognitive tests.
Canada deploys military assessment team to Turkiye after earthquake
Canada deployed a disaster assessment team to Turkey on Wednesday in the wake of a devastating earthquake that's killed thousands, as the federal government faced criticism that the window to help with rescue efforts was closing.
'It was a nightmare': 2 children dead, driver charged after city bus crashes into Laval daycare
A man has been arrested and two children are dead after a driver crashed a city bus into a daycare in Laval, Que. Wednesday morning. The deadly crash sent multiple children to area hospitals and parents scrambling to find their kids shortly after they dropped them off for the day at the Garderie éducative Sainte-Rose, north of Montreal.
Alphabet shares dive after Google AI chatbot Bard flubs answer in ad
Alphabet Inc. lost US$100 billion in market value on Wednesday after its new chatbot shared inaccurate information in a promotional video and a company event failed to dazzle, feeding worries that the Google parent is losing ground to rival Microsoft.
opinion | Before you do your taxes, take note of these tax credits and deductions you may not have known about
Many Canadians are experiencing strains caused by the increased cost of living and inflation. In his exclusive column for CTVNews.ca, contributor Christopher Liew shares some of the top credits and deductions that you may be able to claim on your income tax return to help you save money.
Indigo payment systems, online store down after 'cybersecurity incident'
Indigo's payment systems and online store are down after a 'cybersecurity incident,' the company announced on Wednesday evening.
Netflix Canada begins password sharing crackdown
Netflix Canada is rolling out its long-anticipated plans to crack down on password sharing, saying it will begin notifying Canadian users today by email about limitations.
Tyre Nichols documents: Officer never explained stop to him
The officer who pulled Tyre Nichols from his car before police fatally beat him never explained why he was being stopped, newly released documents show, and emerging reports from Memphis residents suggest that was common.