MENTORLINK TELETHON TO BE BROADCAST APRIL 18 ON WCET & WLWT-TV

CYC, KONNECT, Channel 5 and 'CET Join Forces To Recruit Mentors For Our City's Youth

The MentorLink telethon will be broadcast April 18, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Channel 5 and 7 to 8 p.m. on WCET (Channel 48). Courtis Fuller, Channel 5 news anchor, and Kathy Lehr, 'CET on-air personality, will host the event.

While most telethons are designed to raise money for a charity or other worthwhile cause, MentorLink is a telethon designed to secure caring, adult mentors for the youth of Greater Cincinnati. It is a media partnership established between Channel 5, Channel 48 and the mentoring programs of Cincinnati Youth Collaborative and KONNECT.

"We're inviting all of Greater Cincinnati to watch MentorLink on April 18, to see the exciting success stories of how mentors have helped to change the lives of young people in our community," said Tammy Barnett, program director for MentorLink sponsor KONNECT, a faith-based mentoring program for children who have an imprisoned parent. "But more than just watch, we urge all caring adults to call in and give of their time and themselves to help a child."

The MentorLink telethon will feature taped vignettes of mentors and mentees interacting, on-air interviews with agency directors and appearances by local elected officials and community leaders. It will be telecast from the 'CET studio, but it will be on the air on Channel 5 via numerous cut-ins to local newscasts from 5-6:30 p.m. The uninterrupted broadcast of the telethon will be 7-8 p.m. on 'CET (Channel 48).The community organizations Beech Acres and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority alumni chapters will also be featured.

Why was MentorLink established? Both KONNECT and the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative have long waiting lists of children - especially African American boys - who want a mentor. Research shows that children in a mentoring relationship are happier and achieve better academically.

MentorLink organizers believe that once the public knows the great need for mentors; understands the great impact mentors make; and the variety of ways to mentor, the number of people responding will be great. The goal is to obtain at least 200 new mentors for children. (MentorLink was first organized in 2003 by Leadership Cincinnati, WLWT-TV, 'CET and four community mentoring organizations.)

For more information on MentorLink or on how to begin mentoring, call Cincinnati Youth Collaborative at (513) 475-4148 or KONNECT at (513) 589-3400, ext. 127.