DATE: Tuesday, March 11, 1997               TAG: 9703110317

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY KENNAN NEWBOLD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                        LENGTH:   44 lines

TELETHON TAKE FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS

A group of Catholic volunteers turned a stroke of bad luck into good fortune over the weekend at the 1997 Catholic Schools TV Telethon.

Just before going on the air Saturday to begin their live, four-hour broadcast from WGNT, channel 27 - to raise money for participating Catholic elementary schools - their tote board broke.

It was time to break out the rosaries.

It was time to invent The Living Tote Board, using nuns to hold up the pledge totals.

``The public loved it,'' said John Langlois, the volunteer executive producer of the telethon for the past five years. ``We plan on using them again next year.''

The telethon, sponsored by the Catholic Elementary Education Foundation, featured a fashion show, with students modeling the newest in plaid; singers; Polish dancers; recognition of academic and community accomplishments; and a very popular segment called ``Saints and Sinners,'' where elected officials and the clergy answered the phones.

``It was an exciting four hours,'' said Langlois. ``The energy of the people is just phenomenal.''

That energy raised more than $16,000 in call-in pledges - an increase of about 15 percent over last year. Eighty percent of the collected, called-in pledges go directly to the schools.

``It was a great success,'' said Langlois. ``We had a lot of community support.''

About 500 people and 50 Catholic organizations in Hampton Roads participated this year, including hospitals, churches, schools and community groups.

``If you get picked to go to the telethon, it is the best thing that happens all year long,'' said Sister Barbara Boyle, principal of St. Mary's Academy.

``It's great,'' said Sister Rose Marie Adams, principal of St. Gregory the Great Catholic School. ``The kids love doing it.''

Both Boyle and Adams plan on using the money raised at the telethon for school computers.

Each year, the telethon adds another school to its list of participants. Interested Catholic elementary schools should call 499-6860 to get involved.

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