Photo: Mike Biden

Last year's 40th annual OSNS telethon at Cherry Lane Shopping Centre.

“It's such a good time to focus on feel-good stories around the success that kids have when communities support them.”

The Okanagan Similkameen Neurological Society (OSNS) Child & Youth Development Centre is planning its annual Share a Smile telethon and silent auction for Nov. 22, inviting the community to tune in and donate. 

“We're just in the midst of course, as so many organizations are doing, we're pivoting exactly what it'll look like,” Manisha Willms, the executive director of OSNS said. “But we're really excited, we've reached out to all our partners.”

Shaw is going to be involved again in televising the event, which will be largely virtual this year. The online auction will continue as usual. 

It will also be running for three hours instead of the usual five and the time slot is yet to be determined.

“We're just working on reaching out to local talent and to pre-record some segments for the telethon and we're actually just really looking forward to a different way of looking at it,” Willms said. 

“We're very cautious and particular about keeping everybody safe so we will not be encouraging any gathering through the course of the telethon, but we will be encouraging engagement.”

Willms added that she hopes people will get engaged and watch the program, even if they can’t donate. 

“I know that there are so many organizations that are hurting and are struggling, so I just encourage everyone to get involved and to at least get informed.”