Every day, as Tropical Storm Harvey continues to dump copious amounts of rain on Texas and Louisiana, TV stations across the country announce their efforts to raise funds to help the victims. Today, WLS-TV, the ABC owned affiliate in Chicago, is teaming up with the Red Cross, for ABC 7’s Day of Giving, an initiative […]
Every day, as Tropical Storm Harvey continues to dump copious amounts of rain on Texas and Louisiana, TV stations across the country announce their efforts to raise funds to help the victims.
Today, WLS-TV, the ABC owned affiliate in Chicago, is teaming up with the Red Cross, for ABC 7’s Day of Giving, an initiative to ask Chicagoans to support recovery efforts for communities affected by the devastating storm.
The station will do live cut-ins during newscasts and throughout the broadcast day starting this morning at 5 and continuing until 8 tonight encouraging viewers to support the relief effort by donating online or calling the studio.
A phone bank has been set up in WLS’s studio where station employees and volunteers from the American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois will take financial donations. The ABC 7 Eyewitness News Team of anchors and reporters will also be part of the coverage and donation efforts, answering calls at the phone bank. ABC 7’S A Day of Giving will be streamed live at abc7chicago.com, the station’s Facebook page and on the ABC 7 News App.
“This has become personal for ABC 7 because many colleagues and friends at our sister station, KTRK [Houston], have been profoundly affected,” said John Idler, WLS-TV’s general manager.
The Walt Disney Co. and KTRK have announced that they are committing $1 million cash to the American Red Cross in support of Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts.
In Cleveland at WKYC, Tegna’s NBC affiliate there, the station is hosting a 24-hour fundraiser to aid in relief efforts.
The Digi-thon will be carried on WKYC’s digital and social outlets including its website (www.wkyc.com), Facebook page (www.facebook.com/WKYC.Channel3) and mobile apps.
Hosted by members of the WKYC’s news team and various WKYC staff members, the Digi-thon will inform viewers on the historic scope of this disaster, why the need for assistance will continue long after the storm has passed.
It will also give the community a chance to ask questions and offer their own perspectives on this event.
“We hope that Northeast Ohioans do what they always do and come together and give generously to those in need,” said Denise Polverine, WKYC’s digital content director.
Yesterday in Boston, NBC O&O WBTS, Telemundo’s WNEU, and news cable channel NECN, all owned by Comcast NBCUniversal, held a hurricane relief drive to raise funds for victims of Harvey that started at 4 in the morning and went until 11:30 last night.
In addition, WBTS aired a live, 30-minute special at 7:30 last night that featured live reports from Houston.
And on Tuesday in Sacramento, Calif., KCRA and KQCA partnered with the American Red Cross to raise more than $750,000 to help victims in areas impacted by Harvey. KCRA is the NBC affiliate and KQCA is the MyNetworkTV station there, both owned by Hearst.
KCRA and KQCA did live cut-ins throughout the day and had coverage during newscasts asking for donations.
“From the moment we launched our telethon, our phones never stopped ringing,” said Lori Waldon, KCRA’s news director.
And in Orlando, Fla., WESH, Hearst’s NBC affiliate, along with the American Red Cross, raised $156,000 in a 12-hour telethon yesterday.
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