By Seth Flowers
Advertising Manager

WNZR’s annual fundraiser Lifeline 2012 surpassed its goal of $60,000, raising $61,729 as of this week.

“Lifeline 2012 was an incredible blessing to WNZR,” said Joe Rinehart, director of broadcasting. “Yes, the funds are critical to our operations, but to watch and hear about the connection between our listeners and our student staff is very rewarding.”
The student staff had similar sentiments. “It’s really such a blessing to just talk with the people who listen to WNZR,” said freshman Michael Houck, a radio and video broadcasting major.

“I heard and saw the response to God’s call happen right before my eyes, and it was so exciting,.” said Christa Earnhardt, co-host of the Afternoon Drive show.

Lifeline 2012 started Wednesday, March 7, with a day of praise and prayer. Listeners called into the phone center and shared a prayer request or an answer to prayer. Some callers chose to go on air and talk with Marcy Rinehart and Joe Rinehart or student disc jockeys.

Actual fundraising started on March 8. Callers from all over the county called in to pledge their financial support. Amounts big and small poured in, raising the total each hour. By the end of the first day, the total had reached $18,000.

Pastors from the community joined in Lifeline by recording testimonies to be used on air and on online videos.

“A lot of people also don’t realize how much of an impact Lifeline has on our community and on students,” Earnhardt said.

Friday was matching day, when donors gave large amounts and challenged other listeners to match that donation dollar for dollar up to a certain amount.

That evening, the phone room shut down as the staff members were hosts of a Praise the Lord, It’s Friday party with the Rineharts as emcees. Listeners were invited to spend the evening with their families enjoying a buffet and a VeggieTales movie in the
dining commons.

Saturday was “Where in the World is Big Blue?” day. The hosts of The Morning Thing drove the station’s remote broadcast vehicle, Big Blue, around town and called into The Afternoon Drive with clues to their location. Listeners called into the phone room to give their guess to the question, “Where in the World is Big Blue?”

The staff returned for Lifeline wrap-up day on Monday, March 12, when the goal was surpassed in the last minutes of the live broadcast.

“You can’t deny that God did something with all that hard work and faith,” Earnhardt said.

This was some students’ first Lifeline.

“Our new students start to fully understand that they are a part of a media ministry that God uses to change lives,” Joe Rinehart said. “My prayer is that those personal connections motivate them to use their talents to further God’s
kingdom.”