Here's what really happens when you call those celeb fundraising lines
When you call in to a celebrity charity fundraising telethon, are George Clooney and his pals really the ones taking down your credit card info?
In a recent in write-up from The Hollywood Reporter on last night's Hand in Hand hurricane relief telethon, comedian Craig Robinson shared how celebrities like him partook in the event.
Apparently, those looking to give money via a phone call with a famous person are transferred to say wuddup to the likes of Joe Jonas or Justin Bieber only after they've completed the donation. Once a donor is on the line, getting a "thank you" from a celebrity serves as extra motivation for giving. But considering that, according to Variety, Hand in Hand had more than 2,000 call center volunteers taking down the nitty gritty donation details, it's not likely that everyone who called made it through to the 150-odd celebrity volunteers.
“They would donate, and then they got transferred to us," Robinson told the magazine. "We were basically saying, ‘Thank you so much for your donation. Hello – who are you, and where are you from?' When I would talk to them, they were just so grateful that this was happening, having a chance to donate in this way. And all of them, every last one of them, said, ‘I wish I could give more, more, more.’”
Welp, that makes more sense than getting on the phone with Jared Leto (and apparently DJ Khaled's baby) so he can repeat your address and card expiration date back to you, like some callers might have imagined.
Robinson said he was humbled by callers' generosity and compassion. And apparently, the celeb transfer system works —broadcast on network TV and cable, YouTube, Twitter, and radio, the telethon raised more than $44 million for hurricane relief efforts overnight. Now that's using star power for good.
Some serious A-List celebrities manned the Hand In Hand phones to get funds to those whose homes have been devastated by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Leonardo DiCaprio and Julia Roberts obvi joined their friend George, Young Money heavy hitters Drake and Nicki Minaj decided to put in some work work work work work, and callers even had a chance to get kweens Oprah, Cher, or Babs Streisand on the line.
Plus, both Beyoncé and Stevie Wonder spoke out about the need to confront the reality of climate change, which is linked to stronger and longer-sustained storms. Man, celeb telethons, never a dull moment.
Texas rapper Bun B and infamous manager and label exec Scooter Braun organized the event. Proceeds will benefit Feeding Florida, Feeding Texas, Habitat for Humanity, the ASPCA, and more charities working with hurricane victims. You can learn more about how to help Hurricane Harvey victims here, and how to contribute to Irma relief efforts here. When you donate, you might not get to talk to The Biebs, but we promise: he'd be proud.
Topics Activism Celebrities
