Ave Maria telethon raises funds for chapel project

Ave Maria Village will host a telethon from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Reiland Center on the Jamestown College campus.

The telethon is a fundraiser for the village’s capital campaign to build a new all-faiths chapel, the McCoy Family Suite for residents in their last days, and a transportation center.

“We need to raise $1.325 million for the project,” said Bill Kennedy, a member of the capital campaign committee who is organizing the telethon. “So far we’ve raised $875,000 and we’ll be holding a groundbreaking in the spring.”

The telethon will be broadcast live on Dakota Central Telecommunications TV channels 16 and 17, with repeats on channel 17 at a later date. It will also be broadcast live on radio stations KSJB, Mix 93.3 and on NewsDakota.com. Cable Services Inc. of Jamestown will show the event on CSI TV10 at a later date. Phone lines will be open during the live broadcast and during replays. The video will be produced by Jamestown College.

Kennedy said he has 12 acts lined up.

Among acts scheduled to appear are the Jamestown Children’s Choir; Jamestown Sophistikix, a dance group made up of teens in grades nine through 12 from the Jamestown area; Ken Gilbertson and Kerry Wicks will sing with guitar accompaniment by Gilbertson; Jenny Thom will sing with Gilbertson on guitar; and Bruno “Big Elvis” Bigsley will do his Elvis impersonation.

“We have a great lineup and we hope people will respond with donations,” Kennedy said.

Merrill Piepkorn will serve as master of ceremonies and Ave Maria Village CEO Tim Burchill will make appearances as well. The public is invited to come and watch the broadcast as part of the audience.

The new chapel will be 2,735 square feet in size and able to seat 150 people. Kennedy said the long-term care center currently has an activity center/chapel area where ecumenical services are held and groups meet.

“It’s not big enough to meet the needs of our residents and the community,” he said.

The Rev. N.T. and Lillian McCoy Family Suite will be 440 square feet and will offer a private room for families to visit with relatives in center who are in their last days of life. The transportation center will provide a covered area for vehicles to provide easy access in and out of the main entrance.

To make a tax-exempt pledge during the telethon, call 701-269-4415, or bring them into the lobby of the Reiland, donate online at www.avemariavillage.org or email your pledge to bill.kennedy@smphs.org.

Sun reporter Chris Olson can be reached at 701-952-8454 or by email at colson@jamestownsun.com

Tags: life, religion