Another success story for the power of local radio. A Sunday radiothon on Clear Channel's Power 106.9 (WPHR) is credited with rescuing Syracuse's Juneteenth Festival from severe cutbacks due to a lack of funding.
Power's website says the all-day effort generated a little more than $20,000, the target amount to keep the festival's full schedule of events intact. The actual total is expected to be slightly higher, because online donations continued after the radiothon ended.
Organizers say the Juneteenth Festival is "a positive platform for encouraging the acceptance of diversity and offers an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the sacrifices and challenges African Americans endured to achieve freedom." They say Syracuse's celebration is among the largest Juneteenth festivals throughout the United States.