Schools

Rock Till You Drop: WLTL Kicks Off Rock-A-Thon Fundraiser

Lyons Township High School's award winning community radio station, WLTL, kicks off it's big yearly fundraiser this Friday for 88.1 continuous hours of programing.

Students at Lyons Township High School are getting ready for a marathon weekend on the air. 

Located just a hair to the right on your FM dial, WLTL 88.1-FM , will be broadcasting 88.1 hours of continuous programming this weekend as part of their big yearly fundraiser, Rock-A-Thon . They’re trying to beat last year's haul of just over $22,000 and raise $30,000 for the 30th anniversary of the fundraiser. 

The money raised will be invested in equipment upgrades for the station, particularly for new digital control boards, said WLTL's Rock-A-Thon Director Alex Smart.

Find out what's happening in La Grangewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Smart, like many of the station's student managers who run the day-to-day operations at WLTL, has been involved in the program for many years. 

"The atmosphere and the memories here keep people coming back," Smart said of why he and others continue with the program year after year.

Find out what's happening in La Grangewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Smart began his time at WLTL even before he was a freshman at the school by enrolling in the popular summer school class before his first year. In his junior year, Smart was named assistant sports director and then Rock-A-Thon director his senior year. 

"It's special and fun," Smart said of Rock-A-Thon when DJs and engineers are locked in the school over the weekend in shifts to keep up programming. "Even people who've done it in years past want to come back."

The fundraiser launches at 5 a.m today and runs through 9:06 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20. 

"A lot of people enjoy and benefit from WLTL," Smart said. "They're always very supportive and we hope it will be another great year."

WLTL will be giving away lots of prizes during Rock-A-Thon and community members can also donate through a silent auction . Auction items include a signed Blackhawks jersey, a Wisconsin vacation package, behind the scenes tours of ABC7 studios in Chicago and much more. Take a look at the full list here

Listeners can call in to donate at (708) 482-9585, or donate online at www.wltl.net. Sign up for a Patch's free daily newsletter during Rock-A-Thon and we'll donate a dollar to the station, up to $500. 

Not in WLTL's radio range? Listen online here on WLTL's website .

Editor's Note: I was a manager at WLTL while at LT, and had a great time doing it!


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here