By Jenni Todd
Murray, KY – Murray State's listener supported public radio service, 91.3 FM, WKMS concluded its autumn fundraiser with the final day of its on-air campaign on November 3. Listeners and underwriters providing matching grants met the $100,000 goal, and these contributions go into the station's operating budget for business expenses, like the website www.wkms.org that the station maintains year round for listening to its two channels online.
In addition to the fundraiser replenishing the station's operating budget, it also benefited the Murray Calloway County Hospital Hospice House, at no cost to the station or listeners. Terry Hart of Murray Lumber Company made a contribution of one 2 x 4 for each pledge WKMS received, resulting in a gift of over $2100 worth of lumber for the construction of the Hospice House.
A total of 1065 pledges came from listeners in thirteen states, as well as the WKMS coverage area in the Four Rivers Region. Listeners in Murray and Paducah combined contributed 50 percent of the total. Residents in Cadiz, Madisonville, and Hopkinsville, in that order, served as the next largest contributing cities- together providing 10 percent of the total. The station welcomed 76 new members- including one new member from Canada.
WKMS received corporate challenge matches to encourage listener gifts from the following businesses listed by community: Paducah: City of Paducah's Fountain Avenue Revitalization Project, Denton & Keuler Attorneys at Law, Flamingo Row, Mike Smith Kia, Owen Cleaners, Roof Brothers Wine & Spirits, The Heart Group, Western Baptist Hospital, and White & White Family Dentistry; Madisonville: Madisonville Community College, Right Start Home Inspection, Trover Health System; Murray: Big Apple Caf , Murray Woman's Clinic, and St. John's Episcopal Church. Black Oak Vineyard of Princeton, Henry County Medical Center of Paris, Magnolia Tea Room of Hazel, Mr. Mulch of Hopkinsville, and Pillar to Post Professional Home Inspection of Hardin also provided corporate matches.
Upon reaching fundraiser goal, WKMS held drawings for thank you gifts. Listeners Warren & Sally Hopkins of Murray, Jim Dimitrious & Beth Miller of Cadiz, Jeremy Vaughn of Murray, and C.A. Woodall of Princeton received new Sangean HD table top radios. Barry and Patience Stevens of Gilbertsville received the "Tour de Four Rivers" grand prize package comprised of several gifts and services contributed by area businesses. Richard Calvert of Paducah received the guitar contributed by Leach's Music in Paris, TN. Tom Kraper of Elizabethtown, IL, and Matt Jaeger of Paducah won tickets to the Old Crow Medicine Show concert and a gift certificate to Big Apple Caf in Murray. Renee Duncan of Murray, Steve Jackson of Mayfield, John Metcalf of Paducah, Tommy Shown of Murray, and Tony Swain of Calvert City, received a Robert Earl Keen CD and tee-shirt. Dr. Emily Rays-Prince of Paducah received the overnight getaway from Lake Barkley State Resort Park. Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park contributed 5 overnight packages received by listeners. Portable Insignia HD radios were awarded to 15 listeners.