# Radio breakfast show raises £30,000 for Diabetes charity

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/10/31/radio-breakfast-show-raises-30000-diabetes-charity/
- Published: 2007-10-31T00:00:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The Diabetes Research Institute has received £30,000 from the Christian O’Connell
breakfast Show on Virgin Radio thanks to listener Darin Butler and Bee Gee Barry
Gibb.**

Christian O’Connell asked listeners to get celebrities to call into the show in 
his competition “Who’s Calling Christian”. Singer Barry Gibb was the winning celebrity
and received £10,000 to donate to the charity of his choice, The Diabetes Research
Institute.

The winning listener Darin Butler also received £20,000 for himself to do exactly
what he wished with. He decided to donate the whole sum to The Diabetes Research
Institute too.

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He said: “It’s a great charity and because diabetes has affected my family and of
course Barry’s it just makes sense to support it.”

Butler had contacted the singer and urged the star to call in live from his Miami
home at 2.30am. Gibb beat other celebrity contenders including Dustin Hoffman, Emma
Thompson, Desmond Tutu and Josh Lucy to claim the final prize money.

Christian O’Connell, the Virgin Radio DJ behind the promotion, commented on Gibbs’
win. “I think thing that helped was the singing”, he said. “That’s what won the 
big cash! But I can’t believe that Darin has decided to donate all his money too–
who knew a listener could be so generous!”

Last year’s Who’s Calling Christian was won by former Prime Minister Tony Blair,
who donated the winning prize money to The Freeman Heart and Lung Transplant Association
and Tyne Youth and Community Centre.

The Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show is on Virgin Radio, on weekday mornings from
6-10am.

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