Jingle Bells Telethon televised

The 64th Annual Jingle Bells telethon, which will take place Saturday, December 8th, 2012 from 5:00 to 10:00 PM at Lake Geneva Christian Center, will be televised. That’s the positive news the Alexandria Jaycees recently discovered and wants to share with the community.

The Jingle Bells telethon, hosted by the Alexandria Jaycees, is a tradition that has positively impacted families in the Alexandria area. Jingle Bells provides food and toys during the holiday season to those that have little means to provide basic necessities for their families.

A new partnership formed between Selective TV, Gardonville Telephone Cooperative and Excellent Multimedia, Inc. makes this all possible. Through the new arrangement, the telethon will be broadcast on Selective TV’s channel 21.4. Those that are able to
receive the Selective TV signal will be able to tune into that channel. Other options will be to view the broadcast on the internet or watch the telethon live at Lake Geneva Christian Center.

“This is very exciting news,” according to Jingle Bells co-chairs Kathy Schlosser and Shawn Thelen. “We are thrilled to provide this programming in a similar fashion as we have in the past; it’s a win-win-win for all of us!” The broadcast will cover an
approximate 60 mile radius around Alexandria. The people viewing it on TV will likely not notice much difference from past telethons, it should be relatively seamless.

“One major advantage with the change is Jingle Bells will not be competing with the 10:00 news since the channel is reserved exclusively for this event,” said Schlosser. “We won’t feel rushed to ensure all talent acts have a chance to perform; we will have the ability to go beyond 10:00 if necessary.”

The Jaycees are especially appreciative of Selective TV and Gardonville for all their time and effort the past few months to make this arrangement possible. “It’s another example of how people in the Alexandria area come together because they know how
important this event is for area families and the community,” said Schlosser.

One of the important features of the telethon is the local talent. Auditions will take place at Lake Geneva Christian Center on Saturday, November 10th and Sunday, November 11th from 3:00 to 6:00 PM both days. For more information about Jingle Bells, including audition information, log onto www.jinglebellsalexandria.org or call 320-335-2488.

The Jaycees also accept monetary donations throughout the year. To make a donation, log onto the Jingle Bells web site and follow the “Donations” link at the top. You can also mail a check to Jingle Bells Foundation, PO Box 131, Alexandria, MN 56308.