Hollywood stars and top musicians led a huge fundraising drive for Haiti live on television Friday, pleading for funds to help the devastated Caribbean nation rise "from the ashes."
Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney led a galaxy of stars performing live on national television networks and also manning the phones in the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon.
The telethon, one of the biggest such events since the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, was broadcast across every major US television network.
Featuring some 130 celebrities and presented by music channel MTV, the telethon came as the Caribbean nation struggled to recover from the deadly January 12 disaster.
Heart-rending images of fragile survivors being pulled from the rubble of Haiti interchanged with emotional performances from top rock acts, including Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen, in the attempt to raise millions of dollars for the shattered country.
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In one of the most moving segments of the event, Rapper Wyclef Jean told the national audience: "I am a Haitian. From the ashes we shall rise."
A telethon was held in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against New York and the Pentagon. Also hosted by Clooney, the event was simulcast across 35 network and cable channels, raising about 150 million dollars.
Another big telethon took place after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, but that was broadcast only on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and less major channels. About 40 million dollars was raised.
NBC and its affiliated networks broadcast a telethon in aid of victims of the Asian tsunami in 2005, raising 18 million dollars.
