WBAA drive offering prize trip, seeking volunteers

A first-ever special prize drawing will mark the WBAA radio fall campaign Oct. 16-22.

WBAA, Purdue’s public AM and FM radio station, is asking listeners to "vote early, vote often" in this campaign in support of its programming.

Tim Smith, corporate support manager, says the station will end the campaign when it reaches the goal of $110,000. Early response to Web pages and a mailing to past donors had provided $15,402 by Oct. 6.

During the drive, WBAA will need volunteers to answer phones in shifts from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., he says, noting that local businesses are great about having good food on hand for volunteers.

Though offering some new premiums, WBAA has made its biggest campaign change by conducting a prize drawing at the same time to draw attention to online giving and say thanks.

The winner will receive one round-trip fare to London, courtesy of STA Travel in Purdue Memorial Union and WBAA. The trip, to be completed by March 31, 2005, will begin and end in a suitable "gateway" U.S. city.

That cannot be determined until a winner is chosen because the contest is online at www.wbaa.org, where listeners far beyond the reach of the radio signal can catch WBAA. No contribution is required to enter the drawing, and one entry per household is allowed.

It’s important that people think about what WBAA does, Smith says.

"Charges for programming have risen 18 percent," he says. "The financial support of our listeners who value the high-quality programs is essential for our operations."

By "voting early," listeners can shorten the campaign, he says. By "voting often," they can make dollars add up faster, with the same result.

One way is to provide an additional membership in someone else’s name. Giving a gift membership allows the option of selecting an available premium for the donor or their honoree.

New as premium offerings, Smith says, are items related to "Car Talk" and "The Diane Rehm Show."

WBAA is at 920-AM and 101.3-FM. To make a pledge, go to www.wbaa.org or call 49-61999 or (866) 922-2101 [WBAA-101].

To volunteer, call 49-45920.

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