The commercial free Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief, co-hosted by George Clooney and Wyclef Jean, was broadcast on nearly a dozen channels.
The telethon to raise money for earthquake victims in Haiti brought out some of Hollywood’s brightest stars, including Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.
“This is a tragedy that reaches across all borders, all boundaries and demands our attention, our help and our compassion as fellow human beings,” Clooney said at the opening of the show. “The Haitian people need our help. They need to know that they’re not alone. They need to know we still care.”
CNN’s Anderson Cooper reported live from Haiti during the telecast in which he was joined by two young survivors, who had been rescued from the rubble. Dr. Sanjay Gupta reported on the medical obstacles that the country still faces.
While stars such as Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, and Justin Timberlake hit the stage and manned the telephone lines in Los Angeles, others did their part with satellite performances from New York and London.
Viewers were urged to call 1-877-99-Haiti to pledge money to the cause. Over 100 A-list celebs, including Mel Gibson and Steven Spielberg and Reese Witherspoon thanked individual callers for their donations.
In London, Bono, Jay-Z and Rihanna collaborated onstage, and Beyoncé sang “Halo” accompanied by Coldplay’s Chris Martin on piano. In New York, the hip-hop group The Roots backed emotional performances from singers Jennifer Hudson, Mary J Blige, and Sting.
Haitian native, Wyclef Jean ended the night saying “Enough with the moping” before singing a song that included the lyrics, “Earthquake we see the earth shake but the soul of the Haitian people it will never break.”
Source from www.people.com