The 5th annual Radiothon in support of the Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society hit the airwaves on 96.5 The Ranch on Wednesday, May 21st.
While the weather outside was chilly, the generosity of the community was heartwarming as the 2025 edition of the event included plenty of visitors to the Royal LePage Wildrose Real Estate Office in Olds.
Merrell Dickie, Broker and Co-Owner of Royal LePage Wildrose Real Estate, notes donations were down a little bit this year but they are really happy and looking very good with between $34,000 and $35,000 collected for the Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society and Kirsten’s Place. He says “this year it is operating costs. The cost of simply operating the shelter. The shelter is pretty much built and pretty much ready to open its doors and it is all going towards operating costs this year.” The total raised this year doesn’t include the amount for the auction items which are still being tabulated.
Dickie adds, the Radiothon on 96.5 The Ranch is a unique event. He says “the radio station for all you guys do. For my wife (Claire) she deserves so much credit. Her and Joe (Carrigan) the two of them put this pretty much together but, you know, special thanks gotta go out to the radio station for all your effort in this. It is a unique event. I don’t know of any other one in Alberta but this is definitely a unique event, that is local with the local radio station and a special thank you to that.”
He highlights approximately how much has been raised for the Mountain View Emergency Shelter Society and Kirsten’s Place. Dickie says “I don’t know the exact number, but we’ve got to be over the $400,000 (mark) and that is just an incredible amount of support from the community for such an important project.”
Donations to MVESS and Kirsten’s Place – the emergency shelter facility in Olds – can still be made through this link.
Listen to 96.5 The Ranch’s Community Hotline conversation with Merrell Dickie.
