Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award

Glenbrook South    High School Students
It began with a question: Could Glenbrook South High School and its students host a telethon and raise $100,000 for the new home of Glenview/Northbrook Youth Services? The agency provides counseling, crisis intervention, programs for therapeutic recreation and other services for area youth and works closely with Glenbrook South. With just $1million shy of the $6.5 million needed to build a new facility for Youth Services, Director Nancy Bloom wanted to enlist the aid of students to jumpstart its final fundraising effort.

Jim Shellard, Assistant Principal/Student Activities, knew that the only possible way GBS could host a telethon would be to have the cooperation and expertise of television broadcasting teacher Mark Ferguson. They were a powerful team and the Telethon became an all-school effort. Coached by Shellard and Ferguson, and supported by a television broadcasting facility and the GBS campus overall, GBS students collectively rose to the challenge. They raised more than$106,000 and put on what Shellard describes as one of the “most memorable 24 hours of my life.”

The GBS Marching Band kicked off the telethon, followed by a Recycled Materials Fashion Show. For 24 hours of uninterrupted live television from November 7 - 8, 2008, 171 separate segments ran on GBS-TV cable channel 26 and Glenview cable channel 17. Covering everything from music to interviews to roasting a turkey to dog training, Glenbrook South students gave of their time, talent, energy, and creativity to entertain, inform and raise critical funds for Glenview/Northbrook Youth Services. Here is what it took:

  • More than 400 Glenbrook South students worked on or off camera
  • Production Assistance:
    • 25 television students
    • 25 student council members
    • 96 student phone operators
    • 2 auditorium/remote student hosts
    • 1 studio/remote host
  • Student Performance Groups: Varsity poms, JV poms, cheerleaders, Master Singers, Drumline, Jazz Combo, Maple Jr. High Jazz Band, Scat That, Comedy Sports, Nine, Solace, Chamber Singers, the GBS Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble, Orchesis, rock bands and soloists.
  • Student Clubs and Organizations: Art Club, Peer Mediation, Animal Rights Club, Anime Club, Korean Club, Pep Club, Engineering Club, STAND, French Club, German Club, Speech Team, Chess Team, Math Team, Desi Club, Social Planet, Spur of the Moment, Model U.N. Club, Stage Crew, Jr. PE Leaders, Interact, Key Club, Student Council, Student to Student, Amnesty International, Cheese Club, Horticulture Team and Juggling Club.
  • A Little Help From Our Friends: 22 GBS faculty/staff members, dignitaries that included -- village presidents, former and current District 225 superintendents, the GBS principal, the superintendent from District 34, Steve Baskerville-weatherman from Chicago Channel 2, Village of Glenview trustees, Sam Witwer-Hollywood actor/GBS graduate, and four GBS alum, one yellow Labrador retriever, 50 elementary school students from District 34 and 24 adult representatives from Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook.