Caiden Buchanan to serve as 2013 poster child

Hillsboro Middle School student Caiden Buchanan has graciously accepted the honor of representing the Highland County Society for Children and Adults as the 2013 Ernie B. Blankenship Telethon's poster child.

The 2013 telethon will be 6-10 p.m. Wednesday, March 27 at Merchants National Bank in Hillsboro and McClain High School in Greenfield. This year's telethon – the 41st annual – will surpass the $3 million plateau in local contributions. Through its first 40 years, the telethon has raised $2,972,581 for area families.

Caiden, 13, is the son of Gary and Heather Buchanan, and the grandson of Phil and Linda McCoppin of Hillsboro.

He is a student in Pam Pinney's class at Hillsboro Middle School.

Caiden is blind and has cerebral palsy, a disorder that can involve brain and nervous system functions, such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing and thinking.

He was born three months premature and spent several of his early months in Children's Hospitals in Cincinnati and Dayton.

"We spent a lot of time going back and forth to Cincinnati Children's Hospital and to Dayton," Heather Buchanan told The Highland County Press during a pre-telethon interview this week. "He was in the NIC unit (Neonatal Intensive Care or NICU) and we couldn't stay overnight, so we did a lot of driving."

Through that assistance from the Society more than a decade ago, the Buchanans agreed that this would be a good year for Caiden to represent the annual telethon.

The family also expressed appreciation for Caiden's teacher, Pam Pinney, and classroom aide Cindy Shoaff. "They do a great job with Caiden," his mother said.

Caiden loves music and arithmetic. He also loves the Cincinnati Reds, according to his dad.

"He likes listening to Marty Brennaman (the Hall of Fame broadcaster of the Reds)," Gary Buchanan said. Gary tried to get Caiden to say "The Reds are on the radio," but the teenager just laughed at his dad for a moment (demonstrating that he really is very much like many other teens!).

Caiden did acknowledge, however, that he is indeed a fan of both the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals.

The 2012 telethon raised $143,110 – all of which benefits people in the Highland County community. The event is sponsored by the Hillsboro and Greenfield Rotary Clubs and is the major fundraiser of the year for the society, which helps provide services for families and individuals trying to pay for medical expenses.

Rotarians Rick Williams and Ernie Blankenship will co-host the March 27 telethon, with additional help on the microphone local officials, including Sheriff Ron Ward and Judge Rocky Coss.

"Last year's telethon was a lot of fun," Williams said, following the event. "If we would have raised $27,000 more last year, we would have gotten to the $3 million mark (raised over the last 40 years). But we'll get it this year. It will definitely go to a good cause in Highland County."

Among the larger donors last year were the Cassner Foundation, with a contribution of $15,000; Merchants National Bank donated $10,000; and there was an anonymous donation of $10,000. Rotary donated $7,000, the Eagles donated $5,090, NCB donated $5,000, Fifth-Third Bank donated $2,700 and PAS Technologies donated $2,500.

"It is such a worthy cause," Society director Gayle Coss said this week. "There are so many people in need of help in these economic times. We hear stories of people who must choose between food and their medication. Some people take half their prescribed medication to make it go further."

Coss encouraged the community to "dig down deep."

"It doesn't matter how much," Coss said. "Every penny counts."

In recent years, the Society has seen a decline in the overall number of donors, and Coss attributes this to the county's struggling economy of the past five or six years.

Coss said over the years many area classrooms and Scout troops have taken on the telethon as their own fundraising project. "One year, we had a Scout troop bring in a wagon full of change," she said. "I'm not sure how much they brought in, but it was change saved throughout the year."

Coss thanked Merchants National Bank for serving as the 2013 host, as well as the local restaurants and food sponsors.

Coss said having so many people show their support and love through their contributions can be overwhelming.

"It's very gratifying, and it's hard to explain," Coss said. "The first year I was involved, I actually cried after the telethon. … I thought, 'Oh my gosh, this little community ...' People reach way down in their pockets, and I'm glad I live here. I'm proud I live here. And I think everybody else in Highland County should be, too."

The community is encouraged to attend the telethons in person at either location or listen live to WVNU 97.5 FM or WCHO 105.5 FM.

Pledges may be mailed to: HCSCA, P.O. Box 258, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133.

For more information, call Gayle Coss at (937) 393-2142.