Hurricane telethon

Stars turn out in force to raise money for hurricane victims money for hurricane victims

CELEBRITIES DID THEIR BIT BY performing and answering phones at the One Voice: Somos Live! disasterrelief concert and telethon on Oct. 14. The event, in both Los Angeles and Miami, raised money for charities helping victims of hurricanes Maria, Irma and Harvey that left many in the Caribbean, Mexico and southern US without food, water or homes.

Performers included Jennifer Lopez and her ex-husband Marc Anthony, who teamed up with Lopez’s boyfriend, former baseball player Alex Rodriguez, to organise the event. “Right when the hurricane hit Puerto Rico, Marc and I got on the phone and started talking about what we could do,” Lopez told WHO. Stars taking part on stage included Stevie Wonder, Gwen Stefani, Chris Martin, Bruno Mars, Maroon 5 and Mary J Blige.

Other celebs pitched in by answering phones and asking their followers to

contribute. Kim Kardashian West posted: “Hey, everyone! We’re live at the telethon! Please call in and donate!” while Ellen Degeneres posted a shot from within the studio of Demi Lovato’s performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, with the comment, “Incredible. I hope you’re watching.”

Lopez, whose parents were born in Puerto Rico, donated $US1 million of the proceeds from her 2016 residency in Las Vegas. “We are all here to help, not just because you are Americans but also because you are family, familia,” she said in an emotional speech. “This disaster hits very close to home. We will never forget those terrifying days where many of us could not find our friends and family, and hear their beautiful voices.”