The telethon is generally broadcast the first full weekend of March, but in a rare and COVID-19-induced exception to that rule, the 45th edition of the telethon was based at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon on February 27 and 28, 2021. Like the 2021 telethon, the 46th edition of the telethon took place without a live audience, in Regina's International Trade Centret on March 5 and 6, 2022. Telemiracle 47 returned to Saskatoon's Prairieland Park on February 25 and 26, 2023 and Telemiracle 48 will return to Regina's REAL District on February 24 and 25, 2024, with a limited live audience.
History
One of the many totals during the telethon
Originally, the Kinsmen had the idea to have a car raffle to raise funds to help with all the requests for assistance they received but the government wouldn't allow it. So instead, they came up with the idea for a telethon.[citation needed] In 1977, the first telethon raised more than CAD $1 million, which at the time was considered a record for per capita telethon fund-raising in a 20-hour period (the province had a population of less than 1 million people at the time). The telethon passed the $2 million mark for the first time in 1983, and the $3 million mark in 2001. Telemiracle has exceeded the $4 million mark fourteen times and $5 million eleven times, most recently in 2022. Telemiracle exceeded the $7 million mark for the first time on March 4, 2018, and the $8 million mark for the first time on March 6, 2022.
Early broadcasts of the telethon featured a mix of national and international celebrities such as John Allan Cameron, Gloria Loring, Alan Thicke, the Irish Rovers, Arte Johnson of Laugh-In, Bob McGrath of Sesame Street, game show personality Jim Perry, his daughter Erin Perry, singer and TV host Blake Emmons (who was the telethon's de facto host during the first few years, a post later taken over by Thicke in the 1980s and most recently by Beverley Mahood and Brad Johner), pianist Frank Mills and Saskatchewan-born motivational speaker Alvin Law. In recent years, the event has mostly attracted Canadian talent. Traditionally, the telethon alternates between the two major Saskatchewan cities of Saskatoon and Regina.
Telemiracle 31 (2007), the first telethon to exceed the $5,000,000 pledge total, broke all previous records, with an official final total of $5,604,682. This record was broken in 2012 (Telemiracle 36) with a final total of $5,906,229. This record was once again broken on March 4, 2018 (Telemiracle 42) with a final total of $7,151,256. One bequest of over $1.2 million and one bequest of over $1.5 million contributed to the 2018 total. The current record is held by the 46th Telemiracle (2022); the total of $8,002,722 included a bequest of $1,779,771.20, the largest pledge—bequest or otherwise—in the telethon's history.
A scheduling mixup resulted in Telemiracle 32 being relocated to Saskatoon in 2008. A convention was booked in Regina for the days leading up to the telethon, meaning that the usual setup time was not available. Telemiracle was held in Saskatoon for 3 consecutive years. The telethon returned to Regina in 2010.[2]
Format
Telemiracle brings in many volunteers from across Canada.
Shown annually on CTV affiliates, the broadcast starts at 9 pm local time on the first Saturday in March (though for the first half of its history, it was often scheduled in February). The broadcast goes live to the host auditorium, where members of the national cast are introduced.
The broadcast takes its only break at 11pm local time to allow for the CTV affiliates to broadcast the CTV National News (anchors from which have appeared on the telethon itself, most notably Lloyd Robertson and Harvey Kirck in the late 1970s). The telethon (and live broadcast) continues during this 30 minute news break and at 11:30pm stations that aired the newscast once again rejoin the broadcast until the conclusion of the show on Sunday evening at 5pm Central Standard Time. The broadcast always concludes with "O Canada" and a balloon and confetti drop during which time some of the volunteers take to the stage to celebrate; up through 2010, a rendition of "With a Little Help from My Friends" was included with the closing festivities.
For the first time in 2009, the show went to other various locations in Saskatchewan outside of Saskatoon or Regina. It went to many of the smaller towns and cities across the province showcasing what the local residents have done to raise money. The practice continued in 2010 and, for COVID-induced reasons, again in 2021.
Telemiracle was streamed online on CTV's website for the first time in 2010.[citation needed]
While the show is now carried only on Saskatchewan CTV stations, the production crew is composed of approximately 200 volunteers representing several broadcast networks, many traveling from outside of the province.
In 2018 a pre-show called the Countdown Show was added. It starts at 6:30 pm local time and runs till approximately 8:45 pm. It is streamed live to Telemiracle's YouTube channel, from the lobby of the host auditorium. The Countdown Show is hosted by two members of the national cast and features 12 Saskatchewan Talent performances.
Since 2021, Telemiracle has been held in a modified format due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with no live audience and primarily pre-recorded performances. The production has also been held in a studio at Prairieland Park or International Trade Centre, rather than at TCU Place or Conexus Arts Centre as has been customary. A limited live audience of invited guests was reintroduced for 2023.[4][5][6]
Annual totals
Telemiracle's website doesn't display the annual totals and they don't set annual goals, but their FAQ notes that the telethon raised over $111 million [7] through Telemiracle 39 in 2015, an amount that includes the $5,604,682 raised by Telemiracle 31 in 2007 and $5,906,229 at Telemiracle 36 in 2012.
At the 37th Telemiracle in 2013, the Kinsmen and Kinettes were proud to announce that the lifetime total for Telemiracle had surpassed 100 million dollars. Telemiracle has an all-time total raised of $159,315,346.
At the 42nd Telemiracle in 2018, a brand new record total was raised, thanks in large part to two individual bequeaths of over $1 million each. When the final tally was totalled up at 5:00 pm, a then-record of $7,151,256 was established.[8] The 46th Telemiracle (2022) raised a total of $8,002,722.[8]
