Bonus Episode - George Stroumboulopoulos

I remember being a kid in Swift Current being glued to the television when the Kinsmen Telemiracle fundraiser was on across the province. I would get my parents' permission to call and make a donation to the fundraiser and then wait for hours for my name to slowly crawl across the bottom of the screen. It was such a big deal to see my name on television, even it lasted for just a few seconds and was quickly followed by someone else donating from Moose Jaw, Enfold or Frontier. 

Telemiracle is woven into the fabric of our province. For the past 50 years, people have picked up their phones and made a donation that would help someone in medical need purchase a piece of equipment or receive financial support that would help them get the care they need. We did an episode in Season Six highlighting Telemiracle's work and taking listeners behind the scenes to discover the work it takes to run the fundraiser, and it's definitely worth a listen. 

Telemiracle turns 50 this weekend and it is pulling out all the stops to mark this milestone. One of the many talented hosts is someone who I have looked up ever since I first saw him on MuchMusic. That would be George Stroumboulopoulos.

I first met George in 2011 at a taping of his CBC Television show, The Hour. It was a quick chat after his show and I was struck by his kindness and how he listened patiently to my questions after taping the show. I remained a fan over the years as he did all the things on television, radio and social media, and it was a thrill to meet him again last October when he spoke at Saskatoon's MemoFest. 

In fact, George came to Sherbrooke Community Centre, where I am the Communications Leader, for a tour of our long-term care home. It was an amazing afternoon as he met a host of residents and staff and listened to how our organization has worked hard for decades to provide residents with full and abundant life. George also took a lot of photos with residents, staff and even some of our animals! The picture for this episode is of George sitting by Sherbrooke's Aviary. The birds loved him! 

Flash forward a few months, and I reached out to George via Instagram when I saw he was in Saskatoon for Telemiracle. I wished him luck and told him how lucky we were to have him back in the city. He wrote back and said, "you gonna have me on the podcast? Haha." Ahhh...yes! 

17 hours later, I met George at his hotel and we sat down for a conversation about how he became involved with Kinsmen Telemiracle and why this provincial fundraiser struck a chord with him. It is always a privilege speaking with George because he is in the moment with you...he listens...and I think that's something all of us could do a better job of these days, myself included! 

I hope you enjoy our conversation, and a big thank you to George for taking time out of his insanely busy schedule to speak with me on the podcast. Best of luck on the fundraiser this weekend, George, and safe travels home. Enjoy that diner meal in the desert! 

Cheers...Eric 

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis