Radio / Television News

Haiti donations continue. Hamilton raises $565,000 in one day


HAMILTON MEDIA OUTLETS aired a city-wide telethon yesterday to raise money for two hospitals in Haiti which have long-standing working relationships with Hamilton’s St. Joseph’s Health System.

According to the most up-to-date reports, Hopital Universitaire la Paix – a 150 bed hospital – is standing, but is overwhelmed with patients and is suffering a critical lack of supplies. Approximately 50% of University Hospital – a 750 bed hospital in downtown Port-Au-Prince – has been destroyed and it too is experiencing the same demands from those affected by the earthquake.

Channel Zero’s CHCH, The Hamilton Spectator, Corus-owned 900 CHML and cable community channel Cable 14 (co-owned by Cogeco, Shaw and Source Cable), all used their resources to raise funds yesterday.

Other companies working hard to help, which we’ve heard about since Tuesday’s story are:

• As of Monday, reports Videotron, about 280,000 phone calls were placed, for free, from its customers to Haiti.

• Tiny Askivision Systems, which serves a number of small communities in Saskatchewan, donated $1,000 to the Saskatchewan Day of Caring radiothon Wednesday, January 20th. This remarkable radiothon (which we noted here along with many other efforts) raised $620,880 in 12 hours.

Other media outlets are continuing their efforts over the coming days and wireless customers can all donate through just a little button pushing, texting donations in through their carriers.