Plum School District aims for $1.2M lifetime goal with annual Make-A-Wish telethon

More than 80 guests, including local celebrities, news media, professional athletes and district administrators, will be featured in the Plum School District’s annual telethon benefiting Make-A-Wish.

The nine-hour telethon will run from 6:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20. It will be livestreamed on the district’s website, pbsd.net.

The telethon has raised $1.172 million for Make-A-Wish since premiering in 2000. With a $40,000 goal this year, organizers are aiming to top the $1.2 million mark.

Plum television production teacher Rick Berrott spearheads the district’s efforts and hosts the telethon in the high school’s television studio.

“It’s like our Super Bowl,” Berrott said. “Having produced the telethon for so long, we get to see wish kids grow up and begin to participate, or previous students that are now professionals come back to contribute and be telethon guests. It is an incredibly life-affirming experience.”

The live telethon will include interviews with district officials, school board members, alumni, teachers, students, members of Plum Emergency Medical Services, borough Mayor Harry Schlegel and Pittsburgh television news anchors.

Mike Clark, of WTAE, and WPXI’s Jenna Harner will co-host segments. Also scheduled to attend are Chris Mueller from 93.7 The Fan, Bubba and Mel from 100.7, and Pittsburgh Hockey Now owner Dan Kingerski.

Plum alumni Pat Muldowney, formerly of ESPN and Fox Sports, and Steve Fabian, a host on Inside Edition, are also expected to attend.

Plum schools host Make-A-Wish fundraisers throughout the fall. They will report on their efforts in video recaps aired during the telethon.

The funds raised are managed in an endowment and used to fulfill children’s wishes that emerge in the Plum community and beyond. They have included a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands for a 9-year-old Tarentum girl with cystic fibrosis, and an indoor play-place for a 5-year-old Cheswick boy suffering from a nervous system disorder.

Judith Stone, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia, said Berrott has been an inspiring leader and advocate for Make-A-Wish’s mission.

“His passion and vision have not only raised significant funds but also instilled in his students a deep sense of empathy and social responsibility,” she said. “Over the years, the Plum Borough School District telethon has become more than just an event — it’s a tradition that unites the community and demonstrates the remarkable power of young people when guided by a compassionate mentor.”