Help local people living with disabilities by participating in Easterseals Joliet Region’s annual hybrid telethon on March 7.

The annual “Celebration of Giving” fundraiser – “Light Up Lives” – will be on a livestream noon to 6 p.m. from Heroes West Sports Grill, 1530 Commerce Lane in Joliet.

The fundraising goal is $140,00, according to Deb Strahanoski, a development consultant helping with the telethon and a 17-year Easterseals Joliet employee, now retired.

“We’re hoping together, we’ll light up lives across the region,” she said.

The community may access the telethon in person and through the Easterseals Joliet Region website, she said.

“The look of the telethon has changed over the years,” Strahanoski said, “but the purpose and the reason for the show hasn’t changed. And we’d still love for people to come out and be part of our studio audience.”

Performers will range in age from 4 through 70s.

“We’ll have musical solos and duos, a little bit of dancing and even Irish dancing,” she said. “You name it, we’ll have it.”

Although admission to the in-person event is free, Heroes West will donate a percentage of sales during telethon hours, Strahanoski said.

People may also donate through the telethon’s donation line, 815-927-5450.

Any size donation matters and “92 cents of every dollar goes to direct services,” Strahanoski said.

“That’s a really powerful statement, in my opinion,” she said. “Families with special needs have always been the purpose. When we raise money, it goes to the programs.”

Programs and services provided by Easterseals Joliet include pediatric therapy, early childhood education, residential services, adult programs, autism services and support services.

Strahanoski also encouraged the community to see the benefits by watching client interviews during the telethon’s pre-show reel now posted on the Easterseals Joliet Region Facebook page.

“It really showcases what Easterseals Joliet region is all about,” Strahanoski said.

Easterseals Joliet Region has served the community since 1949 and is affiliated with the national Easterseals. In 2025, Easterseals Joliet Region served more than 3,700 people, Strahanoski said.

Service areas include Will, Grundy, Kendall, Kankakee, Ford and Iroquois counties, according to the website.

For more information, call 815-725-2194 or visit joliet.easterseals.com.