MASSENA - The annual Salvation Army radiothon will conclude today with a broadcast from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on 1340 WMSA.

Salvation Army Lt. Cynthia L. Crowsen said so far the radiothon, which began on Tuesday, has raised more than $7,000.

“I can tell you I deposited $7,000 this afternoon,” Lt. Crowsen said, adding that total did not include money raised on Friday.

The radiothon, which was held this year at Ashley’s Home Center in Massena also serves as a toy drive, collecting hundred of toys for the Salvation Army to distribute to children in need this holiday season. A number of items are auctioned off during the week to raise funds for the agency.

Lt. Crowsen noted large toy donations came from the SeaComm Credit Union, Trinity School and the Massena Nursery School.

“They all came in with gifts they had brought and sang on the radio,” Lt. Crowsen said, referring to the nursery school students.

Another unique donation came from the Massena Red Raiders Wrestling Team, who ran to the store with toys as a part of a practice this week.

“That’s their warm-up, I guess,” she said.

As for the auction, Lt. Crowsen said many of the event’s bigger ticket items will be sold today as part of what they call the “all-week board.”

“We allow people to bid on them all week and then they’re sold on Saturday,” she said.

Items up for grabs today include a pair of round-trip Cape Air tickets to Albany, a two-hour limousine ride, a blue sapphire ring in a gold setting from Peet’s Jewelers, a room painting gift certificate from TMV Construction, $230 in Wood Pellets from Curran Renewables a gift certificate for a furnace cleaning from Econo Fuels and a $500 gift certificate to Ashley’s Home Center.

Another highlight of the today’s auction items is the “gift tree.”

“It’s full of gift certificates from area businesses in varying amounts,” she said.

“I can’t even venture a guess what the next deposit will be,” she said, adding many people were also simply making monetary donations.

“We had a $500 donation in honor of Harry Clopman for all they have done for the community and the Salvation Army,” she said, explaining until this year when the radionthon had been housed at the now closed Clopman’s store.

“We’re very happy with the auction,” she said. “It’s our first year at Ashley’s Home Center, and the community has been very supportive. They’ve given us a lot of toys donations that we’ll give back to children from our community in need, as well as monetary donations that will help us year-round.”

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