88.1 The Park, P-CEP’s student-run radio station, will hold its annual “Thanks For Giving” pledge drive, November 11-16 to raise money for a massive upgrade through the station’s Amplification Capital Campaign.
“It will double the size of 88.1 The Park’s studio space, going from two edit studios to four edit studios, as well as including a new interview studio and staff room,” 88.1’s assistant station manager since 2014, John Kreger explained.
A seven-time recipient of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters’s High School Radio Station of the Year award hopes to reach their goal of $25,000.
The total cost of the upgrade will be approximately $500,000. Luckily for the station, the Rotary Club of Plymouth has pledged $200,000 towards the goal.
The station has been able to put over $100,000 into the project so far but needs to raise $200,000 more to activate the gift, which would put the station on par with other professional stations while maintaining its award-winning broadcast quality.
Kreger said that although the school district is generous, the station still needs to raise a large proportion of its funds. “We get money from the board of education and we’re thankful for every dollar that we get. But we end up needing to raise $40,000 to $50,000 [with all of the year’s fundraisers] to help the station operate.”
Special guests consisting of key community figures, former alumni and P-CEP staff will join students on-air this week to help promote the drive.
The “Thanks For Giving” pledge drive is the second largest of 88.1’s three main fundraising events, the other two being their record show in the winter and the auction in late spring. Each fundraiser brings the station the funds that it requires to function as a radio station.
Former assistant station manager John Bommarito was inspired by other stations such as NPR’s method for raising money and wanted to replicate their successful pledge drives. 88.1’s annual pledge drive started in 2007, raising around $7,000 in its first year.
Born in 1972, 88.1 The Park has changed names, frequencies, and staff over its 52 years in service. However, the heart of the station remains the same: Providing family-friendly music, local news stories, and a one-of-a-kind experience for its staff.
By donating to the drive, listeners are supporting a program that Kreger believes benefits the station’s staff. “88.1 is special. All of our students grow together, they learn together, they learn how to work together. They become a family. And it’s so important for all students at the Park to find that place that is a home for them. For our staff, 88.1 becomes a central place to their high school years.”
By participating in this program, students learn public speaking, responsibility, and collaboration and apply those skills to their future careers, with students becoming lawyers, doctors, and politicians. In return, the students put their all into the program.
The assistant station manager invites donors to pledge to help keep the station on the air so it can continue to provide Plymouth-Canton with local news, sports, and music and give students rare opportunities to work in broadcasting.
Listeners can call 734-416-7745 at any time Nov. 11-15 to have their pledge taken by a staff member, or if they wish to pledge with a credit card, people can head to the station’s website at 88.1thepark.com.
