(DISCLOSURE: 352Today’s parent company North Central Florida Media Group is a longtime partner in the annual Bear-A-Thon.)
OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The 27th Annual Stop Children’s Cancer Bear-A-Thon lit up hearts and phones across the 352 on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, and raised more than $100,000 in one day–for the sixth year running–for pediatric cancer research and clinical trials.
Ocala-based radio stations and longtime Bear-A-Thon loudspeakers 93.7 K-Country and 92.5/95.5 Wind-FM began their on-air exhortations for donations and auction bids at 6 p.m. Wednesday morning. The calls came immediately from regional residents who wanted to get the nonprofit’s iconic, comforting Bears and Chemo Ducks into the hands and hearts of kids in need. The support ran nonstop right up until the 7 p.m. auction cutoff, after a remarkable last-minute flurry of calls and bids on such valuable one-of-a-kind items as a guitar signed by country-music favorite Cody Johnson and a package centered around megastar Morgan Wallen’s upcoming concert appearances in Gainesville, which included tickets to one of the shows, passes to a meet-and-greet, an acoustic guitar and other perks.
When the dust settled Wednesday evening, the community had come together to raise just over $100,000.
“I am so thankful that we live in a community of caring people,” said Scott Chase, operations manager for North Central Florida Media Group, the radio stations’ parent company in Ocala. “They are the reason our Bear-A-Thon is so successful. Thank you to those who were able to donate.”
Interested parties who missed the Bear-A-Thon can always donate at the Stop Children’s Cancer website.