MOUNT VERNON — Radio station WNZR at Mount Vernon Nazarene University launched its annual fund-raiser, Lifeline 2007, with an outdoor prayer service Wednesday morning. The event will run through Saturday, followed by a “wrap-up” on Monday.
Station manager Marcy Rinehart said this year’s event is the 10th, as WNZR celebrates its 20th year on the air.
Wednesday was a “prayer and praise” day.
“It’s not only for our listeners,” said Rinehart, “it’s also for us. It’s a way for us to focus, which is crucial for students because most of them are inexperienced at fund-raising. It’s a way to get our minds and hearts ready.”
Of the 30 students who work at the station learning the business of radio, honing their skills and gaining experience, eight student disc jockeys and workers are on the WNZR “leadership team.” Each is a paid employee of the station and, said Rinehart, each position is listener supported. She and her husband, Joe Rinehart, director of broadcasting, are employees of MVNU. The students’ salaries are paid from funds contributed by listeners.
Lifeline is comprised of several events: The Lifeline Choice Challenge, which rewards donors who pledge $25 a month with gift certificates to Mount Vernon eateries; Lifeline On the Road on Saturday, when 10 teams of student staff will be at various locations in the county; and a “Veggie Tales” movie for children on Friday. There is a fee for the movie.
Rinehart said, “The money raised goes back to help these students, who have their hands in everything that happens at this radio station. Without this fund-raiser, WNZR couldn’t be the radio station it is. The students are the direct recipients of the kindness of the people in this community.”
For their part, the students are volunteering much of their time during the fund-raiser. Their usual work week runs 10 to 15 hours, but for Lifeline, they put in many more hours, without pay.
Tyler Boss, a junior working on his third Lifeline, is scheduled for 29 hours over three days, with 16 of that counted as class credit.
“That’s a lot of hours and a lot of work,” he said, “but really, it’s the Lord’s work and that’s what pushes me to keep doing it. In the Bible, if God calls anyone to do anything, it’s not going to be an easy thing. It’s very fulfilling because God reassures you when you do something for him. It’s 100 percent worth it.”
Tonya Waggoner, a sophomore, said, “It’s the one time out of the year that I can see the results of the Lord’s work from the seeds that have been planted. Sometimes you need that; it’s so encouraging.”
The students have been doing behind-the-scenes work for weeks, and working some late nights.
Brittany Griffon, a sophomore and the station’s office manager, called businesses to request their partnership in providing the gift certificates as a motivation for donors. Domino’s Pizza, Friendly’s Restaurant and Papa John’s Pizza signed up.
Griffon, like Boss and Waggoner, is a full-time student; she also works at Knox Community Hospital. Nonetheless, donating time for Lifeline is important to her.
“Last year’s experience was amazing,” Griffon said. “You can’t put into words how God touches you during Lifeline. I can’t wait to get that first phone call.
“It doesn’t feel like work,” she added. “Yeah, you’re going to have times when you’re tired, but it doesn’t feel like work at all.”
The students make the decisions regarding Lifeline, with guidance from the Rineharts.
“They set the tone for this event, and for the future. We plan to go off the air at 8 p.m. on Saturday,” said Marcy Rinehart. “We look at the total raised, close to 8 o’clock, then we bring in the leadership team and ask what they want to do. Each year, they say, ‘Let’s keep on going.’” Last year, they stayed on the air until 11:30 p.m.
It was the students’ idea to host the Veggie Tales movie, “Moe and the Big Exit” on Friday at 7 p.m. in the chapel auditorium, despite the fact they must be back on the air at 6 a.m. the next day.
Contact with their listeners is the students’ reward.
Boss said, “Our No. 1 goal is to create a relationship with our listeners. Radio is a business, but we also put relationships right up there with everything else.”
Waggoner said she particularly enjoys “sharing my personal story of what Lifeline means to me. When the listeners hear from students what it means to give, they feel a personal connection.”
“When people give,” explained Griffon, “they become part of our family, the WNZR family.”
The 2007 Lifeline goal, set by the students, is $60,000.
“Of that, $41,000 goes straight to student payroll,” said Rinehart. The remainder will be used for equipment, new hard drives, etc.
It won’t be known until Saturday night if the Lifeline goal is met, but Rinehart and the students are optimistic and faithful.
“God has richly blessed this radio station,” said Rinehart, “and that is because of the listeners. They’re investing in the students.”
