My Old Radio Days

Friday, April 25th, 2008 @ 10:20AM

On my "man" date with Bill we ran into someone who remembered this.

Two Power 91 disc jockeys will spend 28 consecutive hours on top of the Providence Center lighthouse to raise money for multiple sclerosis, starting today at 5 p.m. and ending Friday at 9 p.m.

“Hopefully, the whole community gets involved with this,” said Richy T. Steadman, a senior theatre arts major from Draper and one of the disc jockeys.

Russ Wilde, a senior communication major from Springville and Power 91 morning show personality, said the purpose of the lighthouse stay is to “create a stir in the Providence Center and to get people to gawk at us, basically.”

Steadman said Wilde first thought of the idea.

“He kinda came up with the idea, and I talked to who I needed to to make it happen,” he said.

Permission was received from SUU and Providence Quantum Partners, the lighthouse’s owners, Steadman said.

“We didn’t have any problems,” he said. “Everyone has been more than willing to help.”

Various organizations and businesses have donated equipment to sustain the pair during their stay.

“The restaurants in the Providence Center are going to provide us with food, and we are getting outdoor gear from the (SUU) Outdoor Rec. Center,” Wilde said.

All the proceeds of the fund-raiser go to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Utah chapter, which is based in Salt Lake City.

Brooke Upp, the chapter’s marketing coordinator, said Power 91 has been a big help in the past with creating awareness for fund-raising events, such as the 2004 MS Walk coming up on April 17.

“Power 91 has had a long relationship with the organization,” Wilde said.

There will be collection points inside most of the Providence Center businesses and at the base of the lighthouse, Steadman said.

He and Wilde said they hope to broadcast their 7 to 9 a.m. Friday morning show live from the top of the lighthouse.

“The only problem is electricity,” Wilde said.

They will call in to the radio station even if they are not able to broadcast, he said.

Steadman said the student-run station chose to raise money for multiple sclerosis because the wife of one of the disc jockeys suffers from the disease.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has invested more than $420 million since its 1946 inception to find a cause, treatments and cure for the disease, according to the Utah chapter’s 2004 fact sheet.