WUSN US99.5 Chicago’s 15th annual St. Jude Country Cares for Kids Radiothon set a new St. Jude record by raising $1,322,206. The 2005 total broke the previous St. Jude record of $1,314,264 set by WUSN in 2003.
The Radiothon, held at Gurnee Mills Mall December 9-10, 2005, gave Chicago fans an opportunity to come by and meet WUSN’s on-air personalities, including 2005 CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year Lisa Dent and Big John & Ray. Thanks to the generosity of Chicago country music fans, this is the sixth time US99.5 has raised more than $1 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the world’s premier center for the research and treatment of catastrophic childhood diseases.
Thousands of children have benefited from the cutting-edge research and treatment at St. Jude since its opening in 1962. Today, as always, no child admitted to St. Jude is ever turned away because of his or her family’s inability to pay for our life-saving medical care. 
Fans can also support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Ronald McDonald Charities by purchasing US99.5’s Live Country! CD. Live Country! features live performances by Rascal Flatts, Shania Twain, Gary Allan, Sugarland, George Strait, Keith Urban, Montgomery Gentry, Dierks Bentley, Jo Dee Messina, Darryl Worley, Terri Clark, and Reba McEntire. The CD is available exclusively at all Chicagoland Best Buy stores for $9.95. All net proceeds of CD sales benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Country Cares for St. Jude Kids is one of the most successful radio fund-raising events in America. Since the program began in 1989, nearly 200 radio stations across America have raised more than $225 million in pledges for the children of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Country Cares is present in more than 100 radio markets, with events in eight of the top 10 markets and more than 65 of the top 100 markets. More than 100 country artists have given their names and time to Country Cares through recorded appeals, visits to the children at the hospital or call-ins to radiothons. These stars include Randy Owen, Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Lonestar, Clint Black, Keith Urban and more.
Randy Owen, lead singer of the group Alabama, helped start the Country Cares for St. Jude Kids program in 1989 after meeting w/ hospital founder Danny Thomas.
All segments of the country music industry – artists, record labels, artist managers, songwriters and radio stations – participate in the Country Cares program. All the top country music record labels actively support Country Cares.
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