Fish 104.7 collects 75,000 Valentines cards for Children's Healthcare kids

Fish 104.7 afternoon jock Beth Bacall meets with Luis Santillana of Lawrenceville and his 9-year-old daughter Rosalina, who just had scoliosis surgery. She grabbed some Valentine's cards and a teddy bear. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

By RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com, originally filed Friday, February 13, 2015

Fish 104.7 afternoon jock Beth Bacall wanted to do something positive and project oriented for her listeners last year so she asked them to send valentine's cards for kids who are sick at Children's Healthcare at Egleston.

Within a week, the station had collected 10,000 cards. This year, they promoted the campaign for a month and received a whopping 75,000 cards.

That is an embarrassment of riches because the hospital has maybe 500 patients at a time. That's 150 cards per patient. They plan to distribute extra Valentine's to Scottish Rite and other hospitals.

"You are loved, you are remembered, you are brave," Bacall said on air. "These are some of the messages you are sending as thank you's to the kids of Children's Healthcare."

"We think of our audiences: teachers and youth groups and churches," she said in an interview. "Valentine's make sense as a good service project."

While sifting through the cards, Bacall said out loud to nobody in particular, "Fish listeners are the best!"

They are thinking of adding orphanages and senior centers in the future to disperse the inevitable surplus.

Bacall, who has been with the station for more than three years, has worked in radio over the years in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York in various formats, including R&B, country and pop. But Christian music has been the most satisfying for her.

"This is really ministry," she said. "I don't take it lightly. God will equip you to perform. This is really raw real format. We hear from a lot of listeners. It's the message in the music that's moving the heart and soul of the people who listen."

The bass player of the Casting Crowns Chris Huffman came by today because his son Silas had a heart transplant here a year ago.