Key Points

• VIC Radio, Ithaca College’s online radio station, hosted its annual 50-Hour Marathon telethon
• This year’s telethon benefited Cinemapolis, Ithaca’s nonprofit, independent movie theater
• The event raised over $2,800, which will go towards renovations at the theater

It’s 4 in the afternoon on Sunday, April 8, and the VIC Radio DJs are in the home stretch of the annual VIC 50-Hour Marathon telethon.

They haven’t slept in over two days, and at this point they’re trying to find a way to get through the final couple of hours of the telethon. They’re cracking jokes, cracking each other’s backs, tossing food to one another, and trying to catch it in their mouths.

The last 48 hours have been a grind, but it’s also been fun, and they’re doing it for a good cause. Every dollar raised during the weekend is going to Cinemapolis, Ithaca’s nonprofit, independent movie theater.

A Unique Experience

For 32 years, VIC Radio, Ithaca College’s online-only radio station, has hosted the 50-Hour Marathon to raise money for a local nonprofit and give back to the community.

Why would someone volunteer to stay awake, and on the air, for 50 hours straight? For the “50-Hour DJs,” the experience is a chance to push themselves and improve their on-air skills.

“Having this opportunity is really exciting,” said Alys Derby, one of the DJs. “It tests your ability to work in radio and offers an opportunity to grow as a DJ. It combines doing some something that I love as a DJ with helping an organization in the community.”

The comradery is a big part of the appeal of the event as well.

“We’ve become quite good friends because we’ve spent so much time together,” said JoAnn Castillo, who goes by the name DJ Jodie Castle while on air. “We’ve got a lot of inside jokes now.”

Community Connection

 The people at VIC Radio are very familiar with this year’s beneficiary, Cinemapolis.

Katie Siple, VIC’s 50-Hour Marathon coordinator, said that Cinemapolis has a longstanding relationship with the radio station.

“They’ve donated to the marathon for years and years, so we wanted to give back to them,” she said.

“We did some sponsorships before, and we gave tickets for promotions for the 50-Hour Marathon,” said Brett Bossard, executive director at Cinemapolis. “We try to be very collaborative with other charitable and community organizations.”

Bossard, an Ithaca College graduate himself, also said he was very grateful that his organization was chosen as this year’s beneficiary.

“I was honored,” he said. “It’s exciting and humbling, and an honor to be recognized by the hardworking team at VIC.”

For a Good Cause

Cinemapolis is a nonprofit movie theater that relies on sponsorships and donations from members, along with ticket sales, in order to keep its lights on and films reeling.

The total funds raised from this year’s 50-Hour Marathon was $2,810.55, according to Siple, which she says is in the same range of how much the event has raised in previous years.

While Cinemapolis hasn’t received the money just yet, Bossard said that it will probably go towards helping with some future improvements at the theater.

“There are some specific projects we’re going to be working on in the next year, like installing an automated kiosk in the lobby to help people do self-serve ticketing,” he said.

“We’re also in the process of getting estimates for renovations to the bathrooms as well,” added Bossard. “I’m sure it’ll go towards one or both of those projects.”