TORONTO – Coast to coast, the cable, radio, television and telecom industries are raising millions to help those people devastated by the earthquake which has destroyed Port Au Prince, Haiti, killed tens of thousands and left hundreds of thousands injured and homeless.
Besides these many examples of help already happened/happening, the aid continues with efforts below.
Rawlco radio stations News Talk 980 CJME (Regina) and News Talk 650 CKOM (Saskatoon) Wednesday raised $620,000 during the company’s “Day of Caring for Haiti”, which was matched dollar-for-dollar by the federal government, which announced early on it would do for all donations.
“We are humbled by this outpouring generosity from the people of Saskatchewan,” said talk show host John Gormley. “Saskatchewanians have proven they really do care.”
Independent broadcaster High Fidelity HDTV yesterday announced its channel, Equator HD, and veteran producer Claude Barnes are partnering on a documentary on the aftermath of the earthquake. Production will start immediately and will air within weeks on Equator HD.
"If the first few days after a disaster are all about triage, really, in terms of the immediate needs of the people affected, the story yet to tell is about the what happens next," said Barnes as he prepared to fly to the disaster scene with a camera crew.
Once food and water and emergency medical care are available, as rudimentary as it may be for the first while, a new reality sets in. Proper housing will take many months to rebuild and the Haitian government is basically non-functional. Infrastructure is non-existent. Somehow the most massive outpouring of aid the world has ever seen has to be co-coordinated so that lives can get more or less back to normal, whatever the new normal may be. That is the story Barnes intends to document for Canada’s Equator HD channel.
"When a disaster of this magnitude strikes, the world’s reaction is immediate – where can I send money?" said John Panikkar, president of Equator HD. "But in the weeks after sending a cheque or making a cash donation, people wonder what is happening now and will that money and all that aid in fact help build a foundation for a better future or just meet immediate needs? Will everything be confused and chaotic for an indefinite future? These are storylines people will want to watch.”
Of course, Canada’s big broadcasters are responding in a huge way today (and they have been responding big already. Citytv, for example, already aired a special fundraiser last weekend.
However, today, CTV, Canwest Global and CBC and a number of their specialty channels and radio stations, will together air Canada for Haiti, from 7-8 p.m. CTV, MTV, MuchMusic, CP24 and CP24 Radio 1050 AM CTV, CBC Television, and Global Television will produce the live, one-hour, commercial-free Haitian relief special, hosted by Cheryl Hickey, Ben Mulroney, and George Stroumboulopoulos. Those performing or appearing include The Tragically Hip and K’naan, Céline Dion, Justin Bieber, Nelly Furtado, Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies, Simple Plan, David Foster, Chantal Kreviazuk, Raine Maida and Measha Brueggergosman. Hollywood heavy hitters James Cameron, Michael J. Fox, Ryan Reynolds, William Shatner, Rachelle Lefevre, Joshua Jackson, Pamela Anderson, Jason Reitman, Eugene Levy, Norman Jewison, Tom Jackson, Will Arnett and Sandra Oh have also signed on, joined by television stars Brent Butt, Hugh Dillon, Mike Holmes, Rick Mercer and Alex Trebek and humanitarian Craig Kielburger. MVPs Steve Nash (NBA) and Wayne Gretzky (NHL) will be participating, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor-General Michaëlle Jean will also have special messages for Canadians.
The live stream will also be available on CTV.ca/CanadaForHaiti, MuchMusic.com/CanadaForHaiti and CP24.com. Following the television broadcast, CTV.ca and MuchMusic.com will have the special available on demand until Friday, Feb. 12.
CTV is actually devoting its entire day to Haiti and began this morning with Canada AM, with a goal of raising awareness further and directing viewers to tomorrow evening’s back-to-back fundraising telethons. The multi-platform approach will bring viewers more than 20 hours of programming devoted to Haiti, ending with a special edition of W5 entitled Haiti’s Armageddon, airing Saturday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m.
Click here for the full details of CTV’s plans.
Of course, the big fund-raiser is the global one called Hope for Haiti Now, a special live, commercial-free earthquake relief telethon hosted by George Clooney in Los Angeles, Haitian-born Wyclef Jean in New York City and CNN’s Anderson Cooper in Haiti. It will air in Canada across all the stations mentioned above, plus CJNT, a large number of U.S. stations and everywhere online.
The telethon will feature a star-studded line-up of musical performances including Beyoncé, Madonna, and Haitian artist Emeline Michel¸ Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Sting, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift and a group performance by Keith Urban, Kid Rock, and Sheryl Crow in Los Angeles; and Coldplay, and a group performance by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z, Rihanna and more.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) and Rogers Communications, with the help of Toronto sports fans will also undertake a variety of fundraising efforts in support of UNICEF’s and ONEXONE’s Haitian earthquake relief efforts during the Toronto Marlies’ home game January 23 at Ricoh Coliseum, the Toronto Raptors home game January 24 and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ home game January 26, both at Air Canada Centre.
Employees from all four of MLSE’s teams will be located throughout the arena collecting cash donations for UNICEF from fans in attendance. MLSE will match in-arena cash donations for UNICEF made during the January 23, 24 and 26 home games.
"The events in Haiti have been devastating and have had a tremendous impact on the entire world. We know that many of our fans have been personally affected by this tragedy," said Richard Peddie, president and CEO of MLSE.
With close to 50,000 fans expected to attend all three games, a donation of only a few dollars by each fan and MLSE employee contributions combined with matching donations from both MLSE and the Canadian government would result in a significant amount that has the ability to make a meaningful difference for the people of Haiti, notes their press release.
MLSE has also teamed up with Rogers Wireless to promote their text message campaign. The campaign will be featured during the Leafs, Raptors and Marlies broadcasts to provide fans not in attendance an opportunity to make donations. By sending the text message "HELP" to shortcode 1291 from a personal mobile device, Rogers and Fido customers can donate $5 CDN to the Haitian relief efforts. Rogers is working with The ONEXONE Foundation to facilitate 100 per cent of donations in funds and goods to Partners In Health: Haiti and other Haitian relief organizations.
(If we’ve missed your company’s efforts, please let us know at editorial@cartt.ca and we’ll recognize you in a follow-up story.)
Give folks. Give. There are so many ways to do so that we surely don’t need to point you anywhere (We gave a chunk to the Red Cross and have been texting 1291 to our Rogers account every day, for example). Give today. Give now. Then give again tomorrow.
