Sandy benefit telethon generates record donations

Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together, a live, one-hour benefit telethon, generated nearly $23 million in support of victims impacted by Hurricane Sandy, with a record number of individual donations accepted by the American Red Cross that evening. 

Hosted by NBC's Today anchor Matt Lauer, the live telethon featured performances by Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Joe Perry, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Sting and Steven Tyler as well as appearances by Kevin Bacon, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Jon Stewart and NBC News' Brian Williams.

Donations by phone, text and online were accepted by the American Red Cross from 8pm until midnight on Friday, with the volume of website and phone traffic exceeding previous benefit telethons in support of the American Red Cross over the last five years.

American Red Cross Chief Marketing Officer Peggy Dyer thanked the American public for their response to the fundraising event.

We are incredibly grateful and humbled by this outpouring of support for those who are suffering as a result of Superstorm Sandy. Our preliminary results of nearly $23 million raised are an extraordinary example of how the American people pull together in times of disaster. Their generous donations will go directly to those in need, and we urge the public to continue to give. We also thank the dedicated and talented team at NBCUniversal for the millions of people they have helped through this telethon.

The American Red Cross response to Sandy is very large and will be very costly, affecting a massive area spanning much of the eastern half of the country. Financial donations help the American Red Cross provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to those affected by disasters like Hurricane Sandy. To donate, people can visit their website, and those in the U.S. can call 1-800-HELPNOW or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together will be available online through the weekend via NBC Universal, as well as on Xfinity and Hulu, amongst others
.