On Monday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m. ET, Robin Hood, New York’s largest poverty-fighting organization, iHeartMedia and various other television and radio stations will present the “Rise Up New York!” virtual telethon.
“New York City is at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis has created a whole new set of challenges for the millions of New Yorkers who already struggled to make ends meet,” said Robin Hood CEO Wes Moore in a statement. “This is a moment where we must all come together and rise up together as a community in support of our neighbors and in support of one another.”
The purpose of the benefit is to, “to raise awareness and funds to help New Yorkers whose lives have been dramatically impacted by COVID-19. … 100% of donations will provide support for food, shelter, cash assistance, health and mental health, legal services, education and more – helping fellow New Yorkers rebuild their lives as the city moves towards recovery and beyond.”
Celebrities and personalities such as Jimmy Fallon, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robert De Niro, Mariah Carey, Billy Joel and New York City mayor Bill De Blasio are slated to attend/perform at the event, which will be hosted by Tina Fey.
But fans of the New York Giants may recognize a few other faces as well.
In addition to Phil Simms and Justin Tuck, retired quarterback Eli Manning and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan will also be taking part in the event.
“People have to step up and raise to this occasion to help your neighbor,” Manning said during a SiriusXM NFL Radio interview on Monday.
“From a Giants standpoint and my teammates, these are the people that have cheered for us and been there for us in tough times and celebrated with us when we’ve won championships and gone through the Canyon of Heroes. They were there cheering for us and had our back during rough times and supported us during tough times and now it’s our time to return that favor. They need our help.”
The ultimate goal of the event if to get one million New Yorkers to donate $10 each.
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