Connaughton hosting 11 hr COVID-19 radiothon on Thursday.
by G.K.Chesterton (2020-05-20 14:02:38)
Edited on 2020-05-20 14:03:05
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Excerpt:

A few weeks ago, representatives from Pewaukee-based Capture Sports Marketing reached out to Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton with a proposition. They wanted him to join their Athletes Doing Good initiative, but they didn't need his basketball skills — they needed his voice.

Knowing Capture Sports Marketing had worked with Bucks outreach projects in the past, Connaughton agreed to a partnership. Thus began a process that will culminate in Connaughton hosting an 11-hour Radiothon from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday on 94.5 ESPN Milwaukee and 100.5 ESPN Madison.

The event will include interviews, sales, a silent auction and more in an effort to raise funds for COVID-19 relief. All proceeds will go to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin and Connaughton’s With Us foundation. Herb Kohl Philanthropies, the outreach arm of the Bucks' former owner, is offering a dollar-for-dollar match on donations.

"I thought it was something cool to do during COVID, something cool to help," Connaughton said in an exclusive interview Wednesday. "I’ve always been a guy that’s tried to use my platform for more with my foundation and stuff, so I thought this would be a cool way to try to have a greater impact on the city of Milwaukee because of all the support they’ve shown us and Wisconsin as a whole.”

Connaughton has spent the past 2½ weeks preparing for the event, hoping to construct something that will be impactful and come off as professionally run. He's been involved with collecting items for the silent auction, which includes a signed Giannis Antetokounmpo all-star jersey and a signed Khris Middleton jersey among dozens of other unique items.

One of Connaughton's ideas for the sale was to print 18-by-24 canvases of his dunks over Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee Brewers star Christian Yelich, which will be signed and personalized for anyone willing to buy them for $400. All of the silent auction and sale items can be found on the Radiothon's website and will be available until 6 p.m. Thursday.

During the 11-hour event, Connaughton also will conduct interviews with Antetokounmpo, Donte DiVincenzo, Kyle Korver and Middleton, along with Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, general manager Jon Horst and head coach Mike Budenholzer. He’ll also be joined by Yelich, and Craig Counsell, Josh Hader and Brent Suter of the Brewers.



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