WDSU hosted a telethon just days after a series of tornadoes struck the New Orleans area. Enough money was raised to give a $599 gift card to every affected household.
On Wedenesday, Dec. 14, a series of tornadoes struck Southeast Louisiana, causing several deaths and damage to homes and businesses.
The following Tuesday, Dec. 20, WDSU, Hearst’s NBC affiliate in the city, held a day-long telethon, in partnership with United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA), that raised $105,055 in donations, 100% of which will go to the victims of those tornadoes.
“The tragic event is extra difficult because it’s so close to the holidays,” says Mike Neelly, WDSU’s GM. “But our neighbors in Southeast Louisiana are resilient and our community is incredibly generous. We are also thankful to our friends at UWSELA who always jump into action to help our community after disasters and our extraordinary staff at WDSU who donated more than $5000 to the cause.”
“Just as United Way responds after a storm, the WDSU team and viewer community stepped up in a major way during the Day of Giving telethon,” says Michael Williamson, CEO of United Way of Southeast Louisiana. “Thanks to the station and generous donors, we raised enough money to give a $599 gift card to every affected household in Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard and St. Charles parishes – just in time for the holidays. We can’t thank all the callers enough for tuning in to lend their support and our year-round donors who help us respond during a disaster at the speed of need.”
Comments (0)
Reader Interactions