ECONOMIC UNCERTAINITY NO MATCH FOR 3TV CHRISTMAS ANGEL

Generous Community Support Helps More than 46,000 Arizona Children

KTVK-3TV’s on-going efforts to help valley children continued a 20+ year tradition this holiday season when 3TV teamed up with The Salvation Army to provide Christmas gifts for Arizona’s neediest children as part of the 23^rd annual Arizona’s Family Christmas Angel program. This year, despite economic uncertainty and with the help of a very generous community, the program collected toys for more than 46,000 Arizona children.

Christmas Angel trees were located in 11 local malls from November 20 – December 22, 2009. Members of the community were encouraged to take an Angel tag off the tree and purchase gifts for the child represented on the tag, then return the gifts to the Angel trees. Each Angel tag represented the Christmas wishes of an Arizona child in need.

“The community support for this program is truly amazing,” said Nick Nicholson, 3TV President and General Manager. “It is one of those programs that is a holiday tradition for many valley families. Our employees even get in on the action volunteering at the Christmas Angel trees, sorting toys in the Christmas Angel warehouse and taking Angel tags from an Angel tree located in our lobby. 3TV is proud to support such a worthwhile community effort.”

The Christmas Angel program started in 1986 as a partnership between 3TV and The Salvation Army. In that first year, the program had Angel trees in one valley mall and served 3,200 children. Now more than 20 years later, the program has grown to 11 malls, utilizes more than 5,000 volunteers and serves more than 46,000 children in a five-week period.

In an effort to ensure that no child was forgotten this holiday season, 3TV in partnership with The Salvation Army, Mix 96.9 and Chandler Fashion Center held the one-day Forgotten Angel Toy Drive on December 11^th.  3TV broadcasted live from event. Generous community members donated more than 350 toys and $27,000. All donations went to the Christmas Angel program and were used to grant the wishes of those children whose Angel tags were not taken from an Angel tree.

“In these times of economic uncertainty, The Salvation Army is so very impressed with the community’s continued support of our Christmas Angel program,” said Captain Christine Morales, Christmas Angel Program Coordinator for The Salvation Army. “The Salvation Army would like to thank all of those who have donated to the program this year. You will make a child’s Christmas day a truly special one.”

The five-week campaign is considered the largest of its kind in the nation and has been replicated across the country.  3TV commits more than $1.25 million in station resources to sustain the program. Since 1986, 3TV viewers have generously donated more than one million toys for 500,000 underprivileged children.

3TV would like to thank radio partner Mix 96.9 and mall partners Westcor and Simon Malls for their generous support of this year’s Christmas Angel program.

 About our Angel:

Congratulations to Destiny of Mesa, Arizona. She has been selected the 2009 Christmas Angel. You will see her picture on Christmas Angel posters in Valley malls this holiday season.

3TV is excited to have Mix 96.9 as the official radio partner of the 2009 Christmas Angel program!