It wasn’t a record, but the $224,763 raised this weekend in the Cancer Telethon of Northeast Pennsylvania was an important step in the fight against cancer.

Volunteers this year were more dedicated than ever in the battle against the dreaded disease, remembering their beloved co-host, Carl “Bud” Wychulis, who died in September from a rare form of cancer.

A 90-minute tribute was held for the Coaldale musician who was responsible for getting so many of the musicians involved in the telethon, held at Penn’s Peak and produced by BRC TV 13 and streamed on other platforms.

Musicians and family members gave tributes. Videos of Wychulis were shown from previous telethons.

The telethon usually concludes with the total and volunteers flooding the stage. Instead, the total was announced at 11:30 p.m. and it concluded with a clip from 2016 of Wychulis and Telethon Chairman Joe Krushinsky singing “Softly as I Leave You.” They didn’t realize the meaning it would have today when they recorded it.

Volunteers who participated had their own struggles with cancer, or lost a loved one.

Kim Sargent of Jim Thorpe took two shifts in the phone room. Her son, Hunter Wolfe, died in April 2011. She’s been helping ever since.

“I’m a nurse and l like to give back as a caregiver, parent, someone who lost a loved one.”

One woman who lost a child called to make a pledge and asked for Sargent.

Julie Stokes of Tamaqua lost her sister, Amy Shellhamer Mooney, to cancer. She was just 31 when she died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma on Sept. 21, 2008.

Stokes was stationed at a phone for nearly the entire 24 hours.

Martha Cox of Lehighton took two shifts, one with the local chapter of Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System and then she returned on her own.

“My father died of cancer. There is so much cancer going around, I want to raise money to find a cure,” Cox said.

This was her first time answering phones, but she said she would be back.

Zach Swolensky, of Coaldale, is a student at Panther Valley High School. He joined the fight 10 years ago and spent his entire time filling in answering phones, selling tickets or going wherever he was needed.

“I just want to help out and raise money,” he said.

He stressed the need to come together in the fight.

“Every dollar counts. It takes a village,” he said.

Everyone had a story to tell of how cancer has affected them. Tom Huber, of Jim Thorpe, was a new host on the telethon.

“Too many people have passed away, too early,” he said.

Singer Cindie Gunderman, of Autumn Falls Entertainment in Drums, said she was performing in honor of her father, who died of lung cancer.

“I do this for him,” she said.

Entertainer Pat McGeehan, a cancer survivor himself, said, “It affects a lot of people. Cancer is not prejudiced.”

Throughout the year, volunteers raised money with events for the telethon. One of the biggest events was the basket raffle and auction, which brought in $35,100.

Tamaqua teacher Steve Ulicny donated his talent with his band Toolshed Jack, but also brought $5,000 from the Kids Helping Kids organization that sponsors events through the schools in the district.

New to the telethon was Honest Trav’s Virtual Dive Bar, a Facebook group with more than 60,000 members in all 50 states. The group brought $8,600, raised from $1 ribbons in bars and social clubs. Founder Travis Lindenmoyer said the group started late, but “Next year we are going to try to double, triple our donation.”

Panther Valley and Carbon Career & Technical Institute students were among groups that held fundraisers.

The Courage Award winners all had advice for people. Lisa Trubilla, a Tamaqua swim coach battling breast cancer, said a mammogram detected the tumor five years before it would have been able to be detected otherwise.

“You need to get a mammogram, even if it hurts a little bit,” Trubilla, of Coaldale, said.

Deb Hatmaker, of Coaldale, has four more treatments to go for colon cancer. She stressed the need for early detection.

“Everyone hates doing the prep for a colonoscopy, but it’s a lot easier than 12 weeks of chemo.”

Kevin Kromer, of Walnutport, a survivor of esophageal cancer, stressed the need to go to the doctor when you think something is wrong. Kromer used to resist going to the doctor.

“I self-medicated,” he said. Now, if someone is experiencing severe symptoms, he advises, “It would be in your best interest to go right away and get it checked.”

Seven-year-old McCoy Rapa, of Schnecksville, just finished treatment for leukemia after three years. Her advice to anyone going through treatment?

“Be brave,” she said.