WSOU Surpasses Goal for Radiothon Raising Funds for Hurricane Sandy Relief

Last Updated on January 18, 2013 by askcbiorg

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – 89.5 FM WSOU, the student-run radio station at Seton Hall University, raised more than $9,500 for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, surpassing the radiothon’s goal of $8,950.  A total of $9,535.50 was pledged on-air during an 18-hour radiothon held on November 30, 2012.  More than 100 listeners made donations.  The money raised will be shared equally with the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund and the Empire State Relief Fund.

As the devastation of the storm become clear, the student staff of WSOU conceived of the idea to raise money on-air to help those whose lives had been altered by Hurricane Sandy.  “Everyone at WSOU knew at least one person whose life was turned upside down by Sandy, some of us were personally impacted by the storm and we knew that our listeners were suffering as well,” said station promotions director and radiothon manager Kayla Barry.  “Helping with the rebuilding process was something we knew we had to do.”

Station music director Deepak Gera rallied the heavy metal community to assist with this fundraising effort.  Bands and music labels donated CDs and merchandise as thank you gifts for donors.  Musicians also came on the air to encourage listeners to donate.  “One of the things that helped make our fundraiser a success is that we had artists like Bob Blitz from Overkill, John Kelly of Type O Negative, and Baroness’ John Baizley talking with us about the importance of supporting the rebuilding effort,” said Gera.

“The radiothon reflects Seton Hall’s commitment to servant-leadership and WSOU’s emphasis on experiential learning,” noted general manager Mark Maben.  “Our students took complete ownership of this project and made it a success, learning new skills along the way and helping the local community.  That is what the Seton Hall experience is all about.”

About WSOU:

WSOU, which began broadcasting in 1948, is the student-run, award-winning radio station of Seton Hall University.  Since 1986, WSOU has programmed a hard rock format and the station has developed a national reputation as an industry leader in breaking new bands.  WSOU gave the first area airtime, and in some cases the first-ever airplay, to bands such as Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Rage Against the Machine, Korn, My Chemical Romance and Five Finger Death Punch, among many others.  WSOU is also the broadcast home for Seton Hall athletics and airs religious, public affairs and ethnic programming.  Broadcasting from Seton Hall’s South Orange campus, the station’s signal reaches all five boroughs of New York City and much of northern and central of New Jersey.  WSOU also streams online at www.wsou.net and on iHeartRadio.com.

About Seton Hall University:

For 156 years, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership, developing the whole student – mind, heart and spirit. Seton Hall combines the resources of a large university with the personal attention of a small liberal arts college.  Seton Hall is a Catholic university that embraces students of all races and religions, challenging each other to better the world through integrity, compassion, and a commitment to serving others. For more information, visit: www.shu.edu.

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For more information, contact:

Kayla Barry, WSOU promotions director, 973-275-2018, wsoupromo@gmail.com

Mark Maben, WSOU general manager, 973-761-9546, mabenmar@shu.edu