When the pandemic shut down the Cancer Telethon in April, Chairman Joe Krushinsky didn’t give up hope.

After all, the message of the telethon is all about hope.

Coming off a record year in 2019 with $250,334 raised, the committee members put their heads together and met with host Blue Ridge Communications to hatch a plan for 24 hours of broadcasting in the age of social distancing.

The telethon, held Saturday and Sunday from the TV studio and various remote locations, raised an encouraging $55,154 Saturday and ended with a grand total of $178,975 at midnight Sunday.

No one knew how it would go since many of the fundraisers leading up to the telethon were canceled.

“Our goal was not a numeric goal per se. We simply want to create an environment where you, our beloved community of central Northeastern Pennsylvania, can do everything possible to support the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving mission,” Krushinsky said during the telethon.

The mantra was, “Cancer hasn’t stopped. So neither have we.”

Krushinky said, “Unfortunately, cancer kind of stays on the job no matter what else is going on in the world. That’s why we needed to respond. That’s why we couldn’t go a year without gathering this community in the fight.”

The talent sent videos, performed via Zoom or asked to be included with a tape from a previous year’s performance.

One of the major fundraisers for the telethon is the Chinese auction, postponed twice until it was held at the Lakeside ballroom last weekend with complete social distancing in effect. Many tickets were sold in advance. When the numbers were drawn, people listened from the parking lot on their radios.

The event raised $29,400, just shy of the 2019 total of $30,100.

“It proves in the face of adversity, people come through,” longtime volunteer Maureen Donovan said.

The Relay for Live events were canceled because of the pandemic, but the Anthracite crew adapted the luminaria portion to have a drive-thru program at the Jim Thorpe Memorial Saturday night. People paid $10 for a luminaria to honor a loved one or pay a tribute to their memory.

The telethon included live remotes to Pottsville, Stroudsburg, Lansford and Bethlehem, with Zoom calls with hosts at their homes and various locations. The band played at The Hofford Mill, and the timpani to announce the $100,000 mark came from longtime volunteer Vicki Willman at her home in Hagerstown, Maryland.

Courage award winners received their plaques throughout the telethon: Donna Laughlin of Tamaqua, Theresa Long of Drums, Todd Martin of Stroud Township and Mary Kay Baker of Bethlehem.

Longtime host Bud Wychulis returned after missing last year because of cancer treatments. A video was shown of his wife Sandy, a supporter of the telethon, who died earlier this year.

Krushinsky spent a few minutes talking about longtime volunteer Cary Sinclair, who died July 17 of last year at the age of 84.

“She was a longtime friend and volunteer for the American Cancer Society. She was involved with telethon, raft race, perennial volunteer for daffodil days. Just about anything the cancer society was involved in, Cary was had a hand in,” Krushinsky said.

He showed an interview with Sinclair at the 2018 telethon.

Sinclair talked about her journey with cancer. In 2009 she had lung cancer and doctors removed the upper lobe of her right lung. “They got it quick, so I didn’t need chemo or radiation,” she said.

Later something was discovered in her left lung. The biopsy couldn’t determine what it was so she underwent four radiation treatments.

She first became involved with the cancer society in 1973.

“It was rewarding to me to be able to contribute in some way. What we do has made it so much better for finding the cures,” Sinclair said.

She concluded, “I invite everyone out there to please give your time that you can afford and the money that you can afford to help us continue to grow and provide to those who have cancer.”