The 60th annual Christmas Daddies Telethon nets over $600,000 for children in need

The 60th annual Christmas Daddies Telethon continued its Maritime traditions on Saturday, showcasing various Maritime talents throughout the seven-hour show.

The Christmas Daddies Telethon is a volunteer effort produced by the staff of CTV Atlantic, their family members, and friends. The broadcast time is donated by CTV.

The 60th Annual Christmas Daddies Telethon has collaborated with The Salvation Army to help distribute food, toys, and gifts throughout the holiday season to help with increased demand and support.

With the help of donations from generous Maritimers, the telethon raised a total of $602,000 by the end of the broadcast at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

With funds going toward helping chilren in need, Maritimers had the chance to call in and donate as well as bid in an auction filled with numerous pieces of memorabilia.

Some of that memorabilia included a Taylor Swift signed guitar, a signed Toronto Raptors jersey, and several yearly trophies auctioned off at Christmas Daddies every year.

The Christmas Daddies telethon continues to gather donations through their website even after the telethon, with 50/50 tickets selling until midnight on Monday, and winners drawn on Wednesday.

Donations can be made at the Christmas Daddies website. Organizers from the Telethon encourage donors to honour their pledges through e-transfer, PayPal, or RBC locations in the Maritimes. Cheques can also be mailed to the address listed on the official Christmas Daddies website.

As CTV Atlantic’s longest-standing tradition, the annual telethon is a symbol of holiday cheer in the region, getting many people in the spirit of giving as well as providing for those in need.

Including familiar faces from the CTV Atlantic team, the seven-hour special included a multitude of performers from all three Maritime provinces.

Nova Scotia saw performances from names like DeeDee Austin, Jodi Guthro, and Jah’Mila, all held at the CTV Atlantic studio in Halifax. Performances in Cape Breton included names like Matt Minglewood, Heather Rankin, Morgan Toney, and Keith Mullins.

Performances in New Brunswick included performers Matt Andersen, Mike Biggar, and Joan Kennedy. P.E.I. saw names like Lennie Gallant, Catherine MacLellan, and Richard Wood.

In addition to several performances, the Telethon also included special tributes which honoured two long-time supporters that the Maritime community lost this year.

The first was for Bruce Guthro, a singer-songwriter from Cape Breton who made multiple appearances on Christmas Daddies over the years. The second was for Hollywood actor Alan Arkin, who had a summer residence in Cape Breton and also made multiple appearances on the telethon.

Behind the scenes saw plenty of volunteers manning cameras, answering phones, and taking donations through the website, all of which kept the seven-hour broadcast going.

Despite hard times throughout the world, Maritimer's generosity and giving nature continued to shine through for yet another year.

Click Here for a photo gallery of the 60th Annual Christmas Daddies Telethon.