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KUAC-FM fall fundraiser breaks records

December 5, 2012

Marmian Grimes

Gretchen Gordon
907-474-1891
12/5/12

KUAC-FM’s nine-day fall fundraiser raised a record-breaking $360,000 to support public radio in the Interior.

“Strong public broadcasting is only possible when community support is strong,” said Keith Martin, general manager of KUAC. “It’s clear that the success we saw during our annual fundraiser was due to our community’s generosity. It’s a model of how public broadcasting should be.”

Approximately 300 volunteers from the community answered phones, while over 120 people teamed up on-air.

“The personal advocacy that comes from the heart of our community is a key part of KUAC’s success in our fundraisers,” said Gretchen Gordon, assistant general manager and the director of development and outreach at KUAC, who led the fundraising efforts. “We estimate over 800 volunteer-hours go into these nine days, and that alone speaks to the strength of commitment from our listeners and donors.”

KUAC is part of ������ and has strong ties to the campus.

“We really appreciate the support that comes from individuals in the campus community as well as from the institution,” Martin said. “Chancellor Rogers and Sherry Modrow pitched on-air and made a highly successful challenge which helped encourage contributions from staff, students and faculty, some of whom also volunteer.”

More than 1900 gifts were made to KUAC, including 286 new donors. Local businesses and organizations provided challenge grants, services and volunteers. KUAC’s biggest hour of fundraising came during a 10 p.m. Alaska Live show on Wednesday, Oct. 17. The hour featured The Lost Lakers performing live during the Design Alaska/GHEMM Company Challenge, which raised nearly $28,000 pledges. With a matching gift from Design Alaska and GHEMM Company, the total for that hour was over $41,000. Other highlights include Grace Schaible’s epic opera challenge, which helped bring in $18,605 on the final Sunday afternoon.

“Since it was our 50th, it’s so fitting that the fundraiser totaled more than $50,000 beyond last year’s record-breaking fundraiser,” said Gordon. “But more than anything, we are thankful a thousand times over for such a supportive and appreciative audience and community.”

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Lisa Scerbak, KUAC communications manager, 907-474-1890, lisa@kuac.org.

LS/12-5-12/142-13