Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Sting and more set for virtual telethon
Robin Hood , New York’s largest poverty-fighting organization, and iHeartMedia will join together with New York television and radio stations to air a citywide “virtual telethon” called Rise Up New York! on Monday, May 11th to raise awareness and funds to help New Yorkers whose lives have been dramatically impacted by COVID-19. The show will bring together New York City’s biggest musicians, actors, chefs and more with one common goal: To raise funds for Robin Hood’s relief and recovery efforts, deployed directly to the organizations on the frontlines that serve the city’s most vulnerable during the current crisis and its aftermath. One hundred percent of donations will provide support toward fellow New Yorkers’ most urgent needs: food, shelter, cash assistance, health and mental health, legal services, education and more.
The one-hour benefit special will be broadcast simultaneously on all New York City TV stations, News Channel 12, globally on CNBC, on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide , on the iHeartRadio app, and on Entercom and SirusXM radio stations. Appearances include Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lopez, Trevor Noah, Sutton Foster, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Angie Mar, Spike Lee, Julianne Moore, Cynthia Erivo, David Chang and Ben Platt, along with real-life accounts of the work being done on the frontlines. Musical performances include Sting, Bon Jovi, Mariah Carey and Billy Joel among others yet to be announced.
“New York City is at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis has created a whole new set of challenges for the millions of New Yorkers who already struggled to make ends meet,” states Robin Hood CEO Wes Moore. “This is a moment where we must all come together and rise up together as a community in support of our neighbors and in support of one another.”
“Every New Yorker has been impacted by this pandemic, but if you had breakfast today with your family, you’re already better off than two million of your neighbors who can’t afford to eat at all,” shares Sykes. “It’s not an easy time to ask for donations, but as little as $10 provides a meal for six hungry New Yorkers.”
Rise Up New York! was executively produced by Alex Coletti and John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises at iHeartMedia, along with talent producers Casey Patterson and Rick Krim.
Last month, Robin Hood responded to the pandemic by assembling a “Relief Corps” of bighearted New Yorkers – from Eli Manning and Michael Strahan to Katie Couric and Gwyneth Paltrow – to help raise funds through their personal networks and corporate donors. The Robin Hood Relief Fund raised over 40 million dollars in the first 40 days of the pandemic and has already deployed 258 grants to 233 organizations on the frontlines. Robin Hood has a 32-year proven track record of responding first to deploy checks and provide emergency funds where help is needed most, particularly after 9/11 and Superstorm Sandy.
