QEH Telethon host Marlene MacDonald celebrates 22 years

Marlene MacDonald has hosted the annual fundraising telethon for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for all of its 22 years, and says she'll continue "as long as they want me to do it." 

The friendly, energetic host will spend 18 hours live on the air this weekend, deftly stick-handling nervous cheque presenters, musicians and children.

People always feel very comfortable with her.— Bruce MacLean

"It's a real honour," says MacDonald humbly of her hosting duties. "It's just a little way I can give back and volunteer and help out — it's such a worthy cause." 

By day, she's a mild-mannered executive assistant for the CEO of Health PEI. But when the camera light turns on, MacDonald is more polished on camera than most of the politicians and bureaucrats she's worked for over the years — confident, at ease and at home.

'Gift of gab'

She was "discovered" back in 1995, when she was helping to organize the Souris Christmas Parade, and the Island Cablevision (now Eastlink) was looking for someone to offer colour commentary as it broadcast the event. 

MacDonald auditioned and was offered the role — Bruce MacLean, now manager of Eastlink community programming in P.E.I., was an executive with Cablevision and remembers that broadcast well. It was so windy and cold they had to find shelter for MacDonald — which ended up being the back of an old pickup truck. It wasn't pretty, but MacDonald didn't care.

"You could tell right from the beginning she could do it," MacLean said. "She's got the gift of gab."

Cablevision then asked MacDonald to host a two-hour weekly program called Community Showcase — something she did for 10 years, much of it as a volunteer. Soon after that, Cablevision and the QEH Foundation came up with the idea for a telethon, and asked MacDonald to host that too. 

"We have great confidence in her when she's live," said MacLean. "She's never run out of words." 

In the early days, MacDonald helped book the talent, many of whom she knew since she frequently attends P.E.I. concerts and ceilidhs. 

"There's hardly anybody she doesn't know," MacLean adds. "People always feel very comfortable with her."

"Marlene has the same enthusiasm for our QEH Telethon every year as she had the first year. She is our rock all weekend year after year!" said QEH Foundation CEO Tracey Comeau. "It's quite a thing for 18 hours to remain so composed and eager to have the phones ring and pledges read on-air."

'Pretty special'

The telethon is Eastlink's biggest event of the year on P.E.I., MacLean said, involving more than 100 volunteers and staff — the last few years it has raised more than $500,000 for medical equipment. And he can't imagine a telethon without MacDonald at the helm.

"Marlene's the face of the telethon," MacLean said. "She's pretty special." 

MacDonald gives back the credit to those behind the scenes at Eastlink, the QEH Foundation and all the volunteers. "Everybody just wants to make it a success ... and make it look good." 

However nothing is predictable in 18 hours of live television that includes many people who have never been on camera before.

MacDonald recalls one year as the telethon was about to start, the electricity went off — but as soon as the power came on, the show went on. Other mishaps include switching to the wrong studio, or losing audio in a studio.

"The audience are pretty forgiving in all those instances and that just goes to show it's live TV and anything can happen!" MacDonald said. 

'A very positive event'

That unpredictability is doubled where kids are involved. MacDonald pre-interviews them, asking them their age and how they raised the money they're donating. Many of her younger guests sit right in her lap. 

"And then when the camera comes on and the lights, and you ask them the questions again — they may put their finger in their mouth and nothing comes out!" she laughs. "So you just kind of reiterate the little conversation you had with them and you ask the questions and answer the questions all at once it seems."

MacDonald never gets flustered, though. She keeps candy on hand to help things go smoothly with children. 

"It's a very positive event, a very giving event," she said — and she's made many friends through the years. 

"It's really amazing and flabbergasting when you see some of the donations," she said — everything from a senior who used to donate his card game winnings every year, to children who ask for donations to the hospital instead of birthday gifts. 

"She's just a terrific person and so committed to the community," enthused MacLean. 

The telethon airs on Eastlink channel 10 and 610 Saturday noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

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