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CNY Children's Miracle Network Broadcast raises $33,000

Central New Yorkers donated $33,000 in cash and pledges during the CNY Children's Miracle Network Broadcast June 1, bringing the mid-year total of the 2003 CNY Children's Miracle Network campaign to $759,237. All proceeds from the CNY Children's Miracle Network campaign, presented by SUNY Upstate Medical University Foundation, benefit children who receive care at University and Crouse hospitals.

Coverage of the broadcast originated locally from the studios of WIXT NewsChannel 9.

"The broadcast gives us the opportunity to thank and make visible the efforts of individuals and organizations that sponsor Children's Miracle Network fundraising events throughout the year," said Toni Gary, director of the CNY Children's Miracle Network. "It also provides viewers the opportunity to contribute the day of broadcast to an organization that directly improves the quality of medical care for children in their own hometown. We very much appreciate everyone's efforts and thank them for their contributions."

Children's Miracle Network's major contributor McLane Northeast donated $115,000 to this year's campaign. Since McLane's first involvement with the Children's Miracle Network in 1988, the company and its vendors have raised more than $1 million for the Children's Miracle Network.

Also included in the campaign total are contributions from fundraisers held throughout the year. The Little Gifts for Life Auction, held in March, raised $189,904; Paige's Butterfly Fun Run and Walk, held May 31, raised $45,000; and the Miracle Motorcycle Ride held, May 18, raised $50,400. Proceeds from the Paige Butterfly event benefit University Hospital's Center for Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders and the Paige Yeomans Arnold Memorial Scholarship Fund at Baker High School in Baldwinsville.

The broadcast also featured a tribute to Jessica Rikki Flegal, the daughter of Toni Gary and her husband, WIXT News Anchor Rick Gary, who was killed in a car accident last year. Over the years, Jessica became an integral part of the Children's Miracle Network team, serving as a volunteer at Children's Miracle Network events. More than $3,300 was raised during the broadcast in her memory.

The CNY Children's Miracle Network is part of a national effort to raise funds to benefit hospitalized children worldwide. Throughout its 19-year history in Central New York, it has raised more than $11 million for the children who receive medical care at University and Crouse hospitals. The 2002 campaign raised $1,000,100, marking the first time the organization topped the $1 million mark in an annual fundraising campaign. Proceeds help support pediatric services, purchase medical equipment, and supplement funding for research into pediatric medical disorders.

The local 2003 Children's Miracle Network Broadcast was presented by SUNY Upstate Medical University Foundation and WIXT NewsChannel 9. ClearChannel's B104.7 served as the promotional sponsor. Major sponsors were Able Smith Tent, B104.7 FM, Carrier Corp., Coca-Cola, Dunkin' Donuts, the Empire Room at the New York State Fairgrounds, HealthNow, Kinney Drugs, Ontario Division of Kiwanis, McLane Northeast, New York State Troopers Benevolent Association, Verizon, Wegmans and the Wyndham Hotel.

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