surprising organisers who decided to extend the event an extra hour.

Yesterday, ZFB presenter Ms Janelle Ford said the fund raiser had been an enormous success.

Scheduled to run from 7:30 until 11 p.m., the telethon was extended another hour to reach a targeted $45,000.

"We decided to extend it when we saw how positive the response was,'' Ms Ford said.

And ZFB staff who donated their time voluntarily yesterday received a number of congratulatory calls from viewers, she said.

The four charities to benefit from the proceeds of the telethon are Agape House, the Allan Vincent Smith Foundation, S.T.A.R. and His House.