March 22, 2001 · Carlsbad Safety Center
The Kids Are Worth A Million Telethon
A new event for 2001: one live broadcast, students from every Carlsbad Unified school, and a direct line from living rooms to classroom technology.
What the telethon was
The Kids Are Worth A Million Telethon was a new event planned for March 22, 2001. A live broadcast from the Carlsbad Safety Center featured entertainment by students from each of the Carlsbad Unified Schools, giving every campus a moment on screen and a reason for families to tune in.
Instead of asking donors to imagine a computer lab, the broadcast showed the students who would use it. That was the campaign’s core argument in one evening: technology money is about children, not hardware.
How the night was built
- One venue. The Carlsbad Safety Center hosted the live production.
- Every school represented. Student performers came from each Carlsbad Unified school.
- A pledge moment. Viewers could give during the broadcast and direct their gift to the campaign’s technology goal.
- Community crew. Volunteers and local media helped produce and promote the broadcast.
How to help run an event like this
The campaign relied on volunteers for check-in, phone lines, staging, and promotion. Businesses could sponsor segments, underwrite production costs, or donate equipment that the broadcast itself used.
Volunteer roles and sponsorship options are described on the campaign’s giving pages.
Where the money went
Telethon gifts joined the same pool that funded teacher technology grants and school networks. The impact page explains the model, and the grant information page shows how projects were chosen.