NBC-Universal Raises $18.3 Million for American Red Cross Tsunami Relief

NBC-Universal Raises $18.3 Million for American Red Cross Tsunami Relief WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanks to thousands of generous Americans, an estimated $18.3 million in pledged donations was generated through the "Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope," hosted by NBC-Universal, for the American Red Cross International Response Fund in support of relief efforts for the tsunami victims. "The American people once again demonstrated tremendous compassion and generosity to the tsunami victims by supporting this special event," said Marsha J. Evans, American Red Cross President and CEO, who attended the show in New York. "I am grateful to NBC-Universal, to the artists and celebrities who participated, and to all who supported this important effort, especially SBC Communications." The two-hour concert from Universal Studios in Universal City, Rockefeller Center in New York and the BBC Studios in London featured performances by artists from Madonna to Elton John, Stevie Wonder to Sarah McLachlan, Eric Clapton to Sheryl Crow. Celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Natalie Portman, Renee Zellweger and Halle Berry kindly donated their time to thank donors who made contributions during the East Coast broadcast. Funds raised during the concert will support the American Red Cross assistance plan to meet the immediate and long-term needs of tsunami victims. Our relief efforts will focus on five key areas: food and safe water; healthcare and disease prevention; immediate family supplies; mental health counseling; and disaster preparedness and prevention measures. Combining the funds generated through the concert with previous fundraising efforts, approximately $213.4 million to date has been pledged to the American Red Cross International Response Fund for tsunami relief efforts. "Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope" was broadcast live Saturday, Jan. 15 from 8-10 p.m. EST on all 14 NBC-Universal affiliated networks as well as the Armed Forces Network. For a list of musical performers and celebrities who participated in the event, visit http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Tsunami_Aid:_A_Concert_of_Hope. The American Red Cross wishes to thank: NBC-Universal; the musical performers and celebrities who participated; executive producers Dave Broome of 25/7 Productions, Tony Eaton and Larry Kline of Tall Pony Productions; SBC Communications for making the broadcast commercial-free; Capital One for donating the time and services of their phone agents to handle calls; and Yahoo, GetActive, Convio and Kintera for partnering with the Red Cross to handle online donation processing. Governed by volunteers and supported by community donations, the American Red Cross is a nationwide network of nearly 900 field units dedicated to saving lives and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Led by 1 million volunteers and 36,000 employees, the Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to families affected by more than 70,000 disasters, trains almost 12 million people in lifesaving skills and keeps U.S. military families connected worldwide. The Red Cross is the largest supplier of blood and blood products to more than 3,000 hospitals across the nation and also assists victims of international disasters and conflicts at locations worldwide. Marsha J. Evans is the President and CEO of the American Red Cross. Source: American Red Cross CONTACT: American Red Cross Public Affairs, +1-202-303-5551 Web site: http://www.redcross.org/ http://www.nbc.com/nbc/Tsunami_Aid:_A_Concert_of_Hope ------- Profile: International Entertainment