For 95 years CFRC has provided a connection for the Queen’s and Kingston community through its shows as well as providing volunteer opportunities and training in radio broadcasting.

To keep the tradition going – it is Canada’s longest running campus-community radio station – CFRC is hosting its 12^th annual funding drive with a target of $25,000. While CFRC receives funding from both the Alma Mater Society (AMS) and Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) through student fees, additional financial support is need to help cover the costs of producing approximately 100 shows every week.

The station plays a key role in bringing the Queen’s community together as well as fostering connections with the Kingston community, says Andrea Gunn, editor of the Queen’s Alumni Review and the staff appointee for Queen’s on CFRC’s board of directors.

“It’s a convergence of the community. We have volunteers who are Queen’s students, Queen’s staff, Queen’s faculty, even our principal has a show, as well as members of the community,” she says. “For a lot of people in Kingston and outlying communities, this is their connection to Queen’s University. This is where they get to express their ideas and their interests, whether it’s on a music show, a language show, or a politics show. There’s also a terrific amount of learning and networking going on among the volunteers.”

Funds raised will go towards volunteer training and updating equipment.

Funding drive coordinator Marisa Sandlin is fully aware of the impact and reach of a campus-community radio station has even in an increasingly digital age. With a show of her own, along with her husband Matt Shepherd, and having volunteered at CFRC for three years, she sees the station as a great resource with a very community-oriented feel. However, she would like to see more members of Queen’s get involved. The station has a number of outreach projects with this goal in mind.

“I would love to see students, staff, and faculty be more a part of the station as it’s for them too,” she says. “We’re not some station that is just planted on campus – we’re part of the campus. We’re going to celebrate our 100^th anniversary in five years. That’s pretty amazing and this is where we’ve always been – at Queen’s.”

The funding drive is being held March 3-12. To donate and for more information visit the CFRC website.

A community open house is being held on March 1, 6-8 pm, at the Boys and Girls Club in the Frontenac Mall, where a number of community radio show hosts will be sharing their experiences with visitors.

The station is hosting Queen’s University Observatory tours on March 4 at 7pm. Admission is by donation and this event is open to everyone.

The station is also holding a Queen’s faculty and staff appreciation night at the Grad Club on Tuesday March 7, 5-7 pm. Faculty and staff are encouraged to come out to explore how they can get involved with CFRC, whether they are interested in creating a podcast as a teaching tool or want to create a music show for fun.