Disney and ABC have teamed up with the American Red Cross for a “Day of Giving” to raise money for hurricane relief efforts. On Monday, starting with “Good Morning America” and ending with “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC shows gave viewers the chance to help those devastated by the storm by making a contribution to the American Red Cross.
Today on "GMA," Josh Elliott announced that ABC viewers had donated a total of $15,663,327 to Sandy relief efforts through the "Day of Giving."
"On behalf of all of us here at ABC, we very very much appreciate it," Elliott said.
The chance to contribute to the Red Cross and add to to that total has not ended, however. Here’s how you can still participate:
- TEXT: Text ABC to 90999 to give a $10 donation to the Red Cross.
- ONLINE: Go to www.redcross.org/abc to make a donation of any amount.
-
BY PHONE: Call 1-800-HELP-NOW. This number will bypass all the other menu options and direct your call to Hurricane Sandy relief.
8:30 AM: The grand total is in! More than $16.8 million was raised on ABC and Disney's "Day of Giving" for the American Red Cross to help those impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Sandy. It's not too late to give. You can still donate to the Red Cross and make a difference.
12:02AM: Viewers have helped raised $12,663,327 and with the Samsung match of $3 million, we are now at $15,663,327 as of 11:30 pm ET.
11:01PM:
The new total is $12,349,678
from viewers and with the Samsung match of $3 million, we are
now at $15,349,678 as of 10:30 pm ET.
10:00PM:
We've raised $11,851,911
from viewers and with the Samsung match of $3 million, we are now at $14,851,911 as of
9:30 pm ET.
8:47 PM: The new total amount raised by viewers is now $11,276,173 and with the Samsung match of $3 million, we are now at $14,276,173 as of 8:30 pm ET.
8:05 PM: Viewers have helped raised $10,189,177 and with the Samsung match of $3 million, we are now at $13,189,177 as of 7:30 pm ET.
6:46
PM: The latest total of money raised from viewers is now $10,172,111 and with
the Samsung match of $3 million, we are now at $13,172,111, as of 6:30 p.m. Please keep your pledges coming!
5:50 PM: We've raised $9,105,093 from viewers and with the Samsung match of $3 million, we are now at $12,105,093 as of 5:30 pm ET.
5:00 PM: The new total is $11,468,980 as of 4:30 pm ET. That’s $8,468,980 from viewers with the Samsung match of $3 million.
4:30 PM: 1,351,683 customers are still without power in the states affected by Sandy today, according to the Department of Energy. We
want to continue to get as many pledges as possible. If you get a busy signal, don’t be discouraged. Call back!
3:30 PM: Katie Couric, who pitched in on the “GMA” phone bank this morning, had New Jersey's own Jon Bon Jovi on her talk show, "Katie,"
today. Bon Jovi, who has been busy raising awareness and working to
help affected by the storm in his home state said: “People want to help,
but they just don’t know how to help or who. ...Until we figure out
where we can use that help, it’s best to donate and cash is king. We
have to rebuild entire towns.”
3:00 PM: Our latest numbers are in from Red Cross and we've reached $10,735,747 as of 2:30 PM ET. That's $7,735,747 from viewer donations that have come in online, by phone and through text, and includes Samsung's generous $3 million match.
2:25 PM: ABC News reports that electric power is slowly
coming back to New York's neighborhoods and parts of New Jersey, but
many residents in the storm-ravaged area are still cold, hungry and
looking for answers as they enter their second week post-Sandy and brace
for a nor'easter set to hit the region this week. Click here for the latest.
1:50 PM: The new total is $10,003,865 as of 1:30 p.m. ET.
That's $7,003,865 from viewers, plus the Samsung match of $3 million.
Keep the momentum going by making a donation and use the hashtag #DayofGiving on Twitter!
PHOTOS: Sandy’s Wide Swath of Destruction 
1:05 PM: Drum roll please! New numbers are in and we’ve raised $9,252,461 so far. That’s $6,252,461 raised from viewers, plus a generous $3 million match from Samsung.
12:35 PM: Stars signed on to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Country singer Kellie Pickler shared a message for victims of Sandy and
encouraged her fans to get involved: "My heart, my prayers and thoughts
are going out to all of the hurricane victims. Please donate to ABC’s
'Day of Giving,'" she said. So did Kerry Washington from ABC’s
"Scandal:" "We have all been so moved by all of the images of the impact
of Hurricane Sandy up and down the East Coast. And if you’ve been
wondering what you can do about it, like I have, join us today for ABC’s
'Day of Giving.' Give to those who have survived this awful hurricane
and storm. Give from your heart, give all that you can." Watch more of the celebrity message here.
12:05 PM: If you missed "GMA" this morning, check out the ABC News faces who manned the phone bank. (Everyone from Barbara Walters to Snooki to Ben Stiller and Grover from "Sesame Street" was there!) Click here for photos.
11:50 AM: New numbers are in from the Red Cross and as of 11:30 AM ET, we’ve raised $5,340,457. Let’s keep it up!
11:00 AM: Here's the new total. As of 10:30 AM ET, we've raised $4,729,325.
Now the women of "The View" are up, giving you another chance to donate
to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy battle back and rebuild their
lives.
10: 00 AM: The new numbers are in and as of 9:30 AM ET, we’ve raised $3,901,342. That includes generous donations from Barbara Walters, George Stephanopoulos, Mark Cuban, and Dwyane Wade.
ABC/Lou Rocco9:33 AM: Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan took time out
of their special "Halloween Hurricane Telethon" show on "LIVE with Kelly
and Michael" to promote the “Day of Giving” message. Let's keep the
momentum going!
9:00 AM: The new
totals are in and we are now up to $3,116,742. This includes a generous
donation from Mark Cuban of ABC’s “Shark Tank.” “There’s not a day that
goes by where I don’t count my blessings of living in the greatest
country in the world,” he said. “We all have our dreams, our ambitions,
our goals, but sometimes we are cut short by tragedies. I hope you’ll
join in me in providing support to ABC’s ‘Day of Giving’ and helping out
those who need it.”
8:56 AM: ABC News’ Barbara Walters has donated $250,000 to the
Red Cross and George Stephanopoulos has made a contribution of $50,000. Follow
their lead!
8:50 AM: The stars of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning
hit musical, Broadway’s "Jersey Boys," are performing a medley all in
the spirit of giving to those who need it most.
8:40 AM: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo just called in
to "GMA" and said restoring power to the 700,000 people in New York
state who are still without power and getting food and clean-up
materials to victims are a top priority.
The silver lining from the
storm? Cuomo said: “The silver lining for this storm if you will is the
spirit of community all across this state. I have people from upstate
New York coming down to help people from down state. We have people from
all across this country who are just driving in. People from the
Midwest, people from the South, who saw it on TV and just go t in their
cars and said we wanted to come up and see how we can help. We are all
neighbors and we want to be there one for the other. It’s really
heartwarming. People feel at least they are not alone, that people care.
And that means so much.”
PHOTOS: ABC's 'Day of Giving': Stars Man the Phone Bank
8:32 AM: Calling all “Jersey Shore” fans! Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is on
the “GMA” phone bank. “Seaside is like my second home, so thank you so
much for having me here. I donated a lot of clothes,” the “Jersey Shore”
star said. “Nov. 15, my ‘Jersey Shore’ cast mates and I, we are going
to have a benefit on MTV …to help the business get back together in
Seaside. We are trying to do everything I can.” Click here to watch.
8:25 AM: ABC News’ Katie Couric is answering your calls live on “GMA.” She’s already taken calls from two people from Ohio, someone from Charlotte and Nashville.
The one and only Barbara Walters has been manning the phone bank for an hour and has fielded a call from a veteran of Desert Storm who gave $25, she said. A woman on social security disability also gave $30. “People have told me they will open their houses. People in Michigan said, ‘If you need a room, we’ll give you a room,’” Walters said on "GMA." “I don’t want another storm, but if only we could have this feeling all year long.”
8:24 AM: You can watch live coverage of the "GMA Telethon" for ABC's "Day of Giving" here from 8 to 9 AM: http://abcnews.go.com/live
8:20 AM: If you are calling 1-800-HELP-NOW
and having trouble getting through, please keep trying. A message from
the Red Cross: “Please note that phone lines across America are already
seeing tremendous activity due to the final push by candidates before
Tuesday’s election. This is one of the busiest days for phones in
America on top of the tremendous support we will see from the ABC
network viewers. If you cannot get through to a representative
immediately please wait and try again. Phone lines will be open all day
today. We are grateful for any support you can give to the American Red
Cross and your patience as you connect with our representative. Thank
you.”
8:07 AM: ABC News’ Juju Chang spoke to hurricane
victims in the beachfront community of Rockaway in Queens, N.Y., and
asked what they really the most right now to get their lives back on
track. The four things Chang overwhelming heard: porta potties because
there's no running water, generators to pump out the flood waters,
flashlights and batteries, and cleaning supplies. FEMA say the best
thing to do is not to send these items out, but to contribute to groups
on the ground like the Red Cross to get storm victims what the need.
8:05 AM: Our partner Samsung has really stepped up today and will match viewer donations dollar for dollar up to $3 million. All the more reason to be generous, Sam Champion just announced on “GMA.”
8:00 AM: “GMA” anchor Robin Roberts, who is home recovering from her September bone marrow transplant, shared a special message this morning to the victims of Sandy. After the damage her home state of Mississippi has suffered in recent years, Roberts’ heart is with all of those affected by the storm.
7:50 AM: The latest numbers are in from the Red Cross and so far, we've raised $1,940,923. Our "Day of Giving" follows a $2 million donation from the Walt Disney Company for relief and rebuilding efforts -- half of which went to the Red Cross.
7:39 AM: Actor Michael Douglas sent in a message, encouraging everyone to contribute to help Sandy victims: “As an easterner, I was particularly upset about the destruction of Sandy. So many people out there don't have a generator, don't have water, power, electricity, communication. They need your help. So please, today, ABC's Day of Giving, give whatever you can.” Click here to see more stars' messages.
Lou Rocco/ABC7:30 AM: There are even some celebrity guests standing by to take your call. Ben Stiller and Tony Danza are manning the phones. Call 1-800-HELP-NOW!
PHOTOS: Sandy’s Wide Swath of Destruction
7:00 AM: “Good Morning America”
kicked off the effort this morning and found a few famous ABC News
faces to work the phone bank this morning, including Barbara Walters,
Brian Ross and Bianna Golodryga.
Hurricane Sandy has affected millions along the East Coast, causing
massive devastation and destruction and in its wake. Recovery efforts
are underway as emergency crews scramble to get supplies to the
hardest-hit communities, but many estimate that the relief effort may be
the most expensive in U.S. history.
Special thanks to Roger Hodgson for use of his song, “Give a Little Bit” which continues to inspire multiple generations in the spirit of giving.