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Okanagan community radio smashes fundraising target for first ONAIRversary

The community radio celebrated one year of broadcasting over 92.9 FM on Saturday
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Jackie Del Rizzo and Stanley Zappa were on-air as just one of the programs for Peach City Radio’s first ONAIRversary on Saturday. (Brennan Phillips - Western News)

For the Peach City Radio’s celebration of their first-year over-the-airwaves, they blew past their goal of raising $4,000 for the day.

The final total, after the day’s fundraising wrapped up with the last show late at night, was $5,192, combined from both phoned-in, online, and in-person donations. The fundraiser was part of their ONAIRversary special show, with the first show broadcasting at 7 a.m and the last one of the day starting at 10 p.m.

READ MORE: Penticton community radio celebrates first year of over-the-air broadcasting

“A year ago today we flipped the switch on our FM transmitter, ” said Claire Thompson, the vice-president for CFUZ, on Saturday outside the broadcast booth. “There’s been so much work that has gone into this, it’s been about ten years in the making.”

As a non-profit organization, the radio relies on the community’s support. The money raised from their ONAIRVersary will support the station’s continuing broadcasting.

The radio transmitter was turned on last year, putting Peach City Radio across the airwaves, but it had been broadcasting since 2014 with programming on the internet.

It was thanks to the support of the community, including the volunteer programmers who build the shows that the radio broadcasts, that helped get the station onto the air at 92.9 FM.

“It’s been so exciting being on air for one year,” said Thomspon.”We have so many volunteers, it’s a totally volunteer-run station. All the folks you’re listening to on the radio are volunteers who are giving up their time to talk about what’s passionate to them.”

READ MORE: Penticton’s Peach City radio goes live on the FM dial

The radio broadcasts a wide range of subjects, reflecting the many volunteers who make up its programming, with content ranging from country music to heavy metal music, as well as a range of spoken word programming.

There is always room for additional programming, and if you are interested, you can get involved by sending an email to volunteer@peachcityradio.org.

Peach City Radio is always open for donations, which can be made online at peachcityradio.org/support.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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