All star telethon Friday night
Celebrities rally around Haiti relief effort
A number of celebrities are stepping up efforts to raise money for the Haiti relief effort. George Clooney is spearheading an all-star telethon that will be broadcast on major broadcast and cable channels Friday night. The actor used the Golden Globe ceremony and surrounding parties over the weekend to recruit celebrities to appear on the telethon.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have pledged $1 million to relief efforts, as has Sandra Bullock, while Madonna has given $250,000 and Gisele Bundchen has donated $1.5 million.
Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have founded the Bush Clinton Haiti Fund and appeared on national news programs over the weekend. Contributions can be made here.
The Clooney-led effort, called "Hope for Haiti" will be broadcast on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, BET, the CW, HBO, MTV, VH1 and CMT. It will benefit a number of relief organizations, including Oxfam America, Partners in Health, Red Cross and UNICEF. Wyclef Jean and CNN's Anderson Cooper will co-host the event.
Jean's Yéle foundation, which has recently come under some scrutiny for possible misuse of funds, is also listed as a beneficiary. The Smoking Gun reports the foundation's tax records have shown some accounting oddities, including paying Jean "at least $410,000 for rent, production services, and Jean's appearance at a benefit concert." Jean's response to the reports can be found below. He also held a press conference today addressing the issue.
Attention, IAH addicts: Continental OnePass members can also donate miles to charitable organizations' relief efforts.