By Delinda Lombardo on
All season long the Detroit Pistons have been celebrating 50 years in Michigan, and now they are about to become the first team in Detroit sports history to devote an entire day, including their game and broadcast, to a telethon that will raise money for charity.
On Friday, March 14, the team will host the Pistons Cares Telethon benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation (Michigan Chapter), while asking everyone in the Pistons community to help them reach their goal of granting wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.
“We want everyone involved – fans, sponsors, staff, players – because Make-A-Wish does so much good, for so many kids,” said Tom Wilson, CEO of Palace Sports & Entertainment. “The day we grant these wishes will be a great day…for all of us.”
The telethon will run throughout the day and into the evening on WDIV-TV4, as the Pistons host the San Antonio Spurs. The entire telecast will be devoted to the telethon, with representatives from the Pistons community asking fans to call and pledge. Sponsors will present their donations and the Pistons will introduce stories of past and present Make-A-Wish kids.
“The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan is delighted to partner with the Detroit Pistons and our community to bring joy to the brave kids we serve,” said Susan Lerch, president and CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan. “We look forward to continuing this wonderful partnership to grant wishes and we are so grateful!”
Since February 22, the Pistons have been donating a percentage of their overall merchandise sales to Make-A-Wish, and have even stepped it up a notch by adding ‘Make-A-Wish Mondays’ to their website. Any merchandise ordered from the site, whether the order is for the Monday special or not, will garner a donation of $5.00 to the Pistons Cares Telethon.
Also lending their support is AT&T. Starting March 9 and running to Mach 21, AT&T will donate $50 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan for every new subscriber to AT&T Advance TV that mentions the Pistons Cares Telethon.
On March 14, fans can call in their donations to a toll free number starting at 6 a.m. Donations can be made immediately by visiting www.pistons.com and clicking on the “Donate Now” button. Online donations will be taken up to March 14 at 6 p.m. Donors interested in participating immediately can call toll free 1-877-DPC-WISH (1-877-372-9474) to contribute to the telethon.
Copyright © 2008 Look to the Stars
