CBS RADIO DALLAS/FT. WORTH’s 11th Annual Christmas is for Children Radiothon Raises a Record-Breaking $1.26+ Million for Children’s Health

DALLAS/FORT WORTH, TX, December 21, 2016 – CBS RADIO DFW’s 2016 Christmas is for Children Radiothon raised more than $1.26 million in partnership with Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals to support programs at Children’s Health. Now in its 11th year, this is a record-setting amount raised by the Radiothon for the eighth largest pediatric hospital system in the nation.

CBS RADIO DFW’s 98.7 KLUV, La GRANDE 107.5 FM and NewsRadio 1080 KRLD broadcasted live from Children’s Medical Center Dallas Dec. 8-9. Hosts Jody Dean (98.7 KLUV) and El Chiquilin (La GRANDE 107.5 FM) hosted a marathon 26 hours each over the two-day period.

La GRANDE 107.5 FM alone raised a record-breaking $558,199, making it the No. 1 CMN Hispanic Radiothon in the country. One hundred percent of the total $1,262,704 raised will support Children’s Health fulfill its mission to make life better for children.

Brian Purdy, senior vice president and market manager for CBS RADIO DFW, said, “CBS RADIO DFW began the Radiothon partnership 11 years ago to support the incredibly amazing work of Children’s Health. Year after year, the generosity of our listeners continues to humble us as we are reminded of how truly blessed we are here in North Texas.”

This year, 26 patients and families shared their heartwarming stories via pre-recorded interviews or live appearances with on-air personalities from all three stations and inspired listeners to support Children’s Health.

“The Christmas is for Children Radiothon is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, and this year exceeded our expectations in every way. It is a highlight for us to share our children’s heartwarming stories and to welcome our corporate volunteers to the hospital. We are simply astounded by the generosity of both our community friends and our corporate sponsors who truly help us make life better for children,” said Brent E. Christopher, president of Children’s Medical Center Foundation. “We also appreciate the dedicated team of professionals at CBS Radio for their support and passion, highlighted by the extraordinary Jody Dean and El Chiquilin, whose desire to help children included devoting a remarkable 26 hours – each – to hosting the event on air.”

The Christmas is for Children Radiothon was made possible by the generous support of local sponsors, including FairLease (presenting sponsor), Credit Union of Texas (phone line sponsor), Neighborhood Credit Union (child champion sponsor), Albertsons-Tom Thumb, The Children’s Courtyard, Granite Properties, Padrino Foods, Skanska, ReTrak, Dallas Fort Worth Acura Dealers, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, ADT Security, Cisco, The Marquis Group, UBC and El Rio Supermercados.

To view a photo gallery from the Radiothon, and to read the stories that inspired more than $1.26 million in gifts, please visit http://give.childrens.com/radio.

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ABOUT CBS RADIO DALLAS/FORT WORTH CBS RADIO Dallas/Fort Worth is owned and operated by CBS RADIO, one of the largest major-market radio operators in the United States. A division of CBS Corporation, CBS RADIO owns and operates 117 radio stations in 26 markets across the U.S. CBS RADIO also owns and operates KRLD-FM, KRLD-AM, KJKK-FM, KLUV-FM, KMVK-FM and KVIL-FM in Dallas-Fort Worth. These stations are available on mobile devices via the Radio.com app.

ABOUT CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION Children’s Medical Center Foundation serves as the fundraising arm for Children’s Health, the leading pediatric health system in North Texas. The Foundation partners with individual donors, corporations and organizations to help the comprehensive team of physicians, scientists and medical professionals at Children’s fulfill its mission to make life better for children. Children’s Medical Center Foundation raises, manages and distributes funds to support Children’s Medical Center Dallas and Plano, multiple specialty centers, Our Children’s House rehabilitation facilities, a network of pediatric practices throughout North Texas and the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern. More information is available at give.childrens.com.

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CONTACT: Lori Conrad, Communications Director 214.245.5529 lconrad@cbs.com