For 25 years, Chile has united to raise millions of dollars for the country’s children with disabilities. This year, the Teletón Foundation, founded by TV host Don Francisco, raised a record US$53 million. Widely known to be the nation’s majority source of funding for the disabled, the money will support about 30,000 children and young adults in their medical and rehabilitation costs for the next two years. The foundation won’t be held next year, due to potential conflicts with the presidential election.

What impressed me most about the fundraiser is that EVERYONE participates. I seriously mean, the ENTIRE country. It’s basically like the U.S.’s Race For The Cure, Candlelighters, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Make A Wish Foundation, etc … combined. Not to say that all the money should be given to just one cause, but it was neat to see so many people united for good.

Teletón support in Plaza Italia.

For weeks, signs plastered nearly every telephone pole, light post and tree. Three-foot long banners covered fences and groups collected money in the streets. Banks sponsored drives. An “ultramarathon” of 130 kilometers (nearly 81 miles) stretched from Santiago to Chile’s port city of Valparaiso. Supermarkets stocked shelves with products promising to donate profits. Dozens of television channels aired the full 27 hours of the main program, which featured hit musical performances and testimonies from sick children.

The Teletón Foundation even has a song, which everyone seems to know … especially these adorable preschoolers. I happened to be waiting for a branch of the national bank to open when they arrived — piggy banks in hand — ready to donate their life savings. They chanted for the bank to open for 20 minutes before breaking into song when they could finally enter. As the line snaked around and up to the tellers, the toddlers sang the Teletón song in (nearly) perfect unison, repeating in 5-minute intervals for more than an hour. Not a single customer was annoyed by the performance; they just smiled, asked for photos, sang along, and most importantly, opened their wallets. When I finally made it out of line, the schoolchildren were gathered outside waiting for the last of their teachers to deposit the money. On request, they gave me a special show, in which, much to their dismay, a street dog joined in for the closing melody. For some reason all of this is about 10 times cuter than I imagine it in English, so watch this video and prepare to have your heart melt.

Teletón sign at the national bank, Banco de Chile.

—JDF