Stars Turn Out For CBS Telethon Aiding Philippine Typhoon Victims
STUDIO CITY (CBSLA.com) — CBS2, KCAL9 and the local CBS radio stations joined with the Red Cross in hosting a telethon Wednesday at the CBS Broadcast Center.
The phone banks from the telethon raised $164,000 for victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and online donations added to the total.
Later in the day, a Filipino community in Carson held a vigil Mass to remember the victims.
Many who come to the parish are from Tacloban, one of the hardest-hit cities, and some still have family members there.
"We don't have FEMA at home. It will be each and every family to rebuild," Susan Urbayan David told CBS2's Juan Fernandez.
The goal of helping those families rebuild was what brought celebrities and Red Cross volunteers to Studio City to raise funds for the stricken island nation.
From the world of TV, among those who stopped by to assist were hosts from "The Talk" – Sheryl Underwood, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne and Julie Chen; Brian Dietzen and Pauley Perrette of "NCIS"; actor and singer Billy Ray Cyrus; Kevin Frazier of "omg! Insider"; "Survivor" host Jeff Probst; Dr. Andrew Ordon from "The Doctors", and Rob Marciano of "Entertainment Tonight."
A large number of former "Survivor" contestants also helped out -- many of them taped seasons in the Philippines; among them Lisa Whelchel of "Facts of Life," fame, Jonathan Penner, Malcolm Freberg and Parvati Shallow.
PHOTOS: The Stars Lend A Helping Hand
From the radio, we heard from Shotgun Tom Kelly of K-Earth and Charles Feldman of KNX, just to name a few.
"It's just incredible to see the outpouring of support," Marciano said. ""Now the pictures are coming back [from the Philippines], we're starting to hear some of these stories, and it's just heart-wrenching."
Cyrus said he was looking for a way to do something for typhoon victims when he saw the telethon on TV. "I thought, what can I do, and I saw you guys and I thought maybe I can come down and man the phones," he said.
Although the telethon is over, the Red Cross is still accepting contribution; anyone wishing to donate can click here to donate.
OTHER RELATED VIDEOS:
» KNX 1070's Frank Mottek Supports Typhoon Relief Efforts
» KNX 1070's Randy Kerdoon Supports Typhoon Relief Efforts
» KNX 1070's Jim Thornton Supports Typhoon Relief Efforts
» KNX 1070's Chris Sedens Supports Typhoon Relief Efforts
