Haddam-Killingworth High School holds a Holiday Telethon to benefit Finley's Fighters and the RDH12 Fund for Sight on Thursday, Dec. 23 between 9 and 11 a.m. Those wishing to donate should call 860-345-0690 between those hours. There will also be a live broadcast of the event on the website, www.rsd17.org/teacherwebpage/highschool/shorelineidol/index.htm, and encore presentations (during which people can still call and donate) will be run daily from Friday, Dec. 24 to Jan. 2. Those who fill out a pledge form with their donation ahead of time (found on the website) or call in on the day of the telethon will be entered into a drawing for hourly prizes that will be given away.

Four year-old Finley Pletcher, the daughter of Jennifer and Mathew Pletcher of Salem, has a rare genetic disease called Lebers Congenital Amaurosis RDH12 (LCA) that is causing her to go blind. If a cure is not found, she will likely be totally blind by her early teens. The RDH12 Fund for Sight was founded by Pletcher's family and three other families with children who have RDH12 LCA. The cost of research for LCA RDH12 for the first year is $70,000. The Haddam Killingworth Holiday telethon hopes to raise between $10,000 and $20,000 to help get the RDH12 Fund for Sight one step closer to its goal. Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, and Discover) are accepted during the telethon. Checks may be made out to RDH12 Fund for Sight and mailed to: Finley's Fighters, c/o Jennifer Pletcher, 231 Laurelwood Dr., Salem, CT 06420. All donations are tax-deductible. For more info about Finley or Finley's Fighters, visit www.finleyfighters.com or www.rdh12.org.