In Michiana, WBET and United Way Raise $198K in Radiothon

“Local radio works,” Tom Duke of Swick Broadcasting told us

One Michigan radio station is reflecting on a mighty successful charity campaign.

This marked the 17th year that 99.3 WBET(FM) has partnered with the St. Joseph County, Mich., United Way for a radiothon.

Licensed to Sturgis, Mich., and operated by Swick Broadcasting, the station serves the region around the Michigan/Indiana border.

Its radiothon, held from 6 a.m. to midnight on May 21, resulted in approximately $198,000 raised for charity. The previous high of $183,000 was set last year.

“Local radio works,” Tom Duke, Swick Broadcasting’s senior account executive and sports director, told Radio World. “Our relationship with the community is what carries us from day to day.”

Duke has been with WBET since 1988, and he has seen the radiothon grow since its inception.

“We never dreamed after the first year that the Radiothon would grow into such a great community event,” he said. 

In 2009, the partners raised about $6,000. After the first three years of the radiothon, WBET began inviting people involved in the organizations the United Way helps and serves, in and around Sturgis and St. Joseph County.

“It was informational, but we needed more energy and fun,” Duke said. 

By the fourth year, area businesses and community leaders were invited as celebrity DJ teams. The goal: To host a single hour during the radiothon and raise as much money as they could within that period. 

This year, pewter microphone trophies were awarded to the guest hosts that raised the most money in their hour.

In the civic division, St. Joseph County Sheriff Chad Spence and Undersheriff David Northrop raised approximately $49,000. In the corporate division, Morgan Olson raised $40,000.

It’s worked well, fostering a “can you top this” kind of mindset. Much of the credit, Duke said, goes to St. Joseph County United Way Director Kelly Hostetler and her staff.

But the effort goes beyond WBET’s over-the-air signal: Part of the radiothon was livestreamed, and the station also conducted an online auction for the event. 

WBET morning show host Mike Stiles was this year’s iron man, present in the broadcast studio for all 18 hours of the radiothon. Duke and Digital Media Producer Emily Stemen were on hand to welcome DJs and community members who stopped by throughout the day, raffling off prizes such as a golf cart.  

Since its inception, the radiothon has raised more than $1 million, Duke said.

Swick Broadcasting operates eight stations in total and AM sister station WBET 1230 celebrates 75 years of broadcasting this year. It came on the air as WSTR on Aug. 28, 1951, according to FCC records.

The 99.3 FM signal followed two years later.

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