Tuesday night’s Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief harnessed its celebrity star power and generated more than $44 million (Dh161 million) in donations.
Stars of all stripes turned out in support of the telethon, and there were performances by the likes of Stevie Wonder and George Strait; other celebrities lobbied for donations via taped submissions.
“Natural disasters don’t discriminate,” Houston native Beyonce said in her message. “They don’t care if you’re an immigrant, black or white, Hispanic or Asian.”
Household names also manned the phones, with Oprah Winfrey, Justin Bieber, George Clooney and Barbra Streisand joining dozens of other celebrities fielding donation calls.
Hand in Hand was originally organised by Houston rapper Bun B and Hollywood talent manager Scooter Braun as a benefit for Hurricane Harvey victims, but was expanded on Tuesday in the wake of Hurricane Irma’s widespread devastation.
