WCVB and Special Olympics Massachusetts Partner on a “Day Of Giving” Fundraising Event on Thursday, April 16, 2026
WCVB is partnering with Special Olympics Massachusetts (SOMA) on the 130thrunning of the Boston Marathon® to raise awareness and critical funds in support of athletes with intellectual disabilities. As part of the overall fundraising campaign, WCVB is airing a special “Day of Giving” on Thursday, April 16, beginning in the EyeOpener newscast at 4:30AM and continuing through NewsCenter 5 at 11PM. The “Day of Giving” will directly benefit SOMA while supporting the fundraising efforts of WCVB runners and the organization’s Boston Marathon team, known as the #XtraMile Team.Throughout the day, WCVB journalists will deliver reports and feature stories highlighting the inspiring athletes, coaches, and families of Special Olympics Massachusetts. SOMA will also be the focus of that night’s Chronicle (7:30-8PM) and included in WCVB’s Marathon special “History, Heroes, and Heart: The 130th Boston Marathon” (8-9PM). Coverage will showcase how the organization uses the power of sport to foster inclusion, confidence, and community for individuals with intellectual disabilities, while raising critical funds and sharing opportunities for viewers to get involved.Special Olympics Massachusetts provides year-round sports training, competition, and inclusive programming for more than 20,000 athletes across the state. Through its partnership with WCVB, the organization’s mission and the powerful stories of its athletes will be amplified across broadcast, digital, and social platforms leading up to and during the Boston Marathon.HOW TO GIVEAll day on WCVB, starting in the EyeOpener newscast at 4:30AM and continuing through NewsCenter 5 at 11PM, viewers will be able to donate by visiting wcvb.com/specialolympics. Every donation, no matter how big or how small, will help to provide year-round sports training, competition opportunities, and inclusive programming for athletes with intellectual disabilities.ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS MASpecial Olympics Massachusetts provides year-round sports training, athletic competition across 23 sports, and other related programming for over 20,000 participants with intellectual disabilities and autism alongside Unified partners – participants without disabilities – across the state in over 1,000 sporting competitions each year. Through the power of sport, the Special Olympics movement transforms the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. http://www.specialolympicsma.orgABOUT WCVBWCVB is Boston’s broadcast/digital media leader, providing news, weather, sports, community service and entertainment on multiple platforms including WCVB, wcvb.com, WCVB mobile and MeTV Boston. Founded by community leaders in 1972, WCVB is committed to its mission to serve the region with quality local content. In addition to 47 hours of NewsCenter 5 coverage each week, original offerings include Chronicle, the nation’s longest running local news magazine; CityLine, a weekly urban magazine program; and On The Record, a weekly political roundtable. WCVB, Boston’s ABC affiliate station, is owned by Hearst Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst, a leading media company whose global holdings include 33 television stations and two radio stations. Follow us on Facebook (wcvb5) and X (@wcvb).ABOUT HEARST TELEVISIONHearst Television owns and/or operates 35 television and two radio stations serving 27 media markets across 39 states reaching 24 million U.S. television households. Through its partnership with nearly all major networks, Hearst Television distributes national content over more than 120 video channels including programming from ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MY Net, MeTV, Estrella and more. The radio stations are leaders in Baltimore news/talk and rock music listenership. Its Hearst Media Production Group unit produces original programming across linear and streaming platforms for domestic and international distribution. Its Very Local app, free to download on household OTT devices and available across popular streaming services, offers 24/7 access to local news, weather and an array of local and regional programming. Hearst Television is recognized as one of the industry’s premier companies and has been honored with numerous awards for distinguished journalism, industry innovation, and community service. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst.
WCVB is partnering with Special Olympics Massachusetts (SOMA) on the 130thrunning of the Boston Marathon® to raise awareness and critical funds in support of athletes with intellectual disabilities. As part of the overall fundraising campaign, WCVB is airing a special “Day of Giving” on Thursday, April 16, beginning in the EyeOpener newscast at 4:30AM and continuing through NewsCenter 5 at 11PM. The “Day of Giving” will directly benefit SOMA while supporting the fundraising efforts of WCVB runners and the organization’s Boston Marathon team, known as the #XtraMile Team.
Throughout the day, WCVB journalists will deliver reports and feature stories highlighting the inspiring athletes, coaches, and families of Special Olympics Massachusetts. SOMA will also be the focus of that night’s Chronicle (7:30-8PM) and included in WCVB’s Marathon special “History, Heroes, and Heart: The 130th Boston Marathon” (8-9PM). Coverage will showcase how the organization uses the power of sport to foster inclusion, confidence, and community for individuals with intellectual disabilities, while raising critical funds and sharing opportunities for viewers to get involved.
Special Olympics Massachusetts provides year-round sports training, competition, and inclusive programming for more than 20,000 athletes across the state. Through its partnership with WCVB, the organization’s mission and the powerful stories of its athletes will be amplified across broadcast, digital, and social platforms leading up to and during the Boston Marathon.
HOW TO GIVE
All day on WCVB, starting in the EyeOpener newscast at 4:30AM and continuing through NewsCenter 5 at 11PM, viewers will be able to donate by visiting wcvb.com/specialolympics. Every donation, no matter how big or how small, will help to provide year-round sports training, competition opportunities, and inclusive programming for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS MA
Special Olympics Massachusetts provides year-round sports training, athletic competition across 23 sports, and other related programming for over 20,000 participants with intellectual disabilities and autism alongside Unified partners – participants without disabilities – across the state in over 1,000 sporting competitions each year. Through the power of sport, the Special Olympics movement transforms the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. http://www.specialolympicsma.org
ABOUT WCVB
WCVB is Boston’s broadcast/digital media leader, providing news, weather, sports, community service and entertainment on multiple platforms including WCVB, wcvb.com, WCVB mobile and MeTV Boston. Founded by community leaders in 1972, WCVB is committed to its mission to serve the region with quality local content. In addition to 47 hours of NewsCenter 5 coverage each week, original offerings include Chronicle, the nation’s longest running local news magazine; CityLine, a weekly urban magazine program; and On The Record, a weekly political roundtable. WCVB, Boston’s ABC affiliate station, is owned by Hearst Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst, a leading media company whose global holdings include 33 television stations and two radio stations. Follow us on Facebook (wcvb5) and X (@wcvb).
ABOUT HEARST TELEVISION
Hearst Television owns and/or operates 35 television and two radio stations serving 27 media markets across 39 states reaching 24 million U.S. television households. Through its partnership with nearly all major networks, Hearst Television distributes national content over more than 120 video channels including programming from ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MY Net, MeTV, Estrella and more. The radio stations are leaders in Baltimore news/talk and rock music listenership. Its Hearst Media Production Group unit produces original programming across linear and streaming platforms for domestic and international distribution. Its Very Local app, free to download on household OTT devices and available across popular streaming services, offers 24/7 access to local news, weather and an array of local and regional programming. Hearst Television is recognized as one of the industry’s premier companies and has been honored with numerous awards for distinguished journalism, industry innovation, and community service. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst.
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