The Power of Local Radio

Having spent the majority of the 2000s working in radio, I've been fortunate to have shared an elevator with Dave Matthews, spoke to Jennifer Garner, and hugged teen crush Jenny McCarthy (she's tiny!).  But aside from the celebrity angle, I have also been blessed to be a part of Eric & Kathy's annual radiothon to support Children's Memorial Hospital (now known as Lurie Children's Hospital).  This annual fundraiser introduced me to dozens of brave children with rare and sometimes fatal diseases.  One story in particular had me sitting in a locked studio for nearly a half hour crying.  The story featured a brave you boy named Ollie whose dying wish was to be a train.  Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ollie's dream came true in 2003 when he sat behind the controls of a Metra locomotive and then Metra named an engine in his honor (the story is best detailed here).  Each year during the radiothon, Ollie's story gets revisited and it never fails to choke me up.  Radio has a unique ability to touch the lives of its listeners in a way that no iPod, Spotify playlist, or satellite radio channel can.  At times it's easy to lose sight of this, but then a story such as Ollie's reminds me and gives me pause.  This past Christmas, a radio station in Kansas City rolled out their annual Christmas Wish feature, and it left me speechless.  It's been viewed over 9,000,000 times on Buzzfeed.  If you haven't invested 15 minutes watching this video, then stop what you're doing and Do. It. Now.