WSB Care-a-thon raises nearly $1.7 million for AFLAC Cancer and Blood Disorders

WSB Radio listeners are consistently generous, donating another nearly $1.7 million this year for the AFLAC Cancer and Blood Disorders Center to help treat young children with cancer.

Over the past two decades, the radio station has helped raise more than $27 million in total for the center.

The two-day marathon last week on the station, which featured all of the station’s local talent, often in unusual combinations, finished Friday with $1,671,813 raised. This was comparable to what was raised during the 2019 Care-a-thon before the pandemic. (The number was a bit lower last year.)

The record high year was 2017 when listeners donated $1.75 million.

Among the WSB personalities that took part were Eric Von Haessler, Tim Andrews, Mark Arum, Erick Erickson, Dave Baker, Belinda Skelton, Doug Turnball, Chris Chandler, Ashley Frasca, “Smilin’” Mark McKay and Clark Howard.

Scott Slade, the long-time morning host at WSB, came up with the idea in 2000 and has been a dedicated participant and cheerleader ever since.

On Friday, Slade told the listeners how he was inspired years ago when he was in junior high school and one of his classmates got leukemia. The school hooked up a wireless telephone box, which was super sophisticated at the time. It enabled her to listen to classes when she became too sick to come to school.

“Then one day, they turned off the box,” Slade said, his voice breaking. “She wasn’t with us anymore. She was a wonderful girl. I said to myself at the time that if I could do anything, I’ll do it so there will be fewer girls trapped in boxes. And that’s thanks to our listeners.”