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Last Friday, dozens of celebrities stepped away from their glitzy engagements and donated their time to lend a much-needed hand. Across more than 30 different stations, singers serenaded the world while actors chatted with the public over the phone. But the event’s purpose wasn’t just to get chummy with fans. These efforts were all part of the MTV-organized Hope For Haiti Now telethon, which has raised over $66 million to date for Haitian relief efforts.
Co-hosted by George Clooney and Wyclef Jean, the latter being of Haitian descent, the star-studded event attracted over 83 million U.S. viewers and an additional 5.8 million video streams online.
The sombre yet inspirational event featured performances by A-list artists including Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Bono, Coldplay and Alicia Keys, making The Hope for Haiti Now album the #1 iTunes album in 18 different countries. Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Swift and Leonardo DiCaprio were manning the phone lines as they affably conversed with callers and collected donations.
An advisory committee has been established with non-profit specialists, Haiti relief experts, and members of the Entertainment Industry Foundation to decide how funds should be divided amongst the Clinton Bush Haiti Foundation, Oxfam America, Partners in Health, Red Cross, UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme, and Yéle Haiti Foundation.
But the efforts don’t end there; even after the final numbers have rolled in, Hope for Haiti Now will continue accepting donations over the next six months.
To make a donation, visit www.hopeforhaitinow.org.













