Tina Fey hosted the virtual telethon ‘Rise Up New York!’ to raise money for New Yorkers hit hard by the COVID virus and even she couldn’t believe the total raised, tearfully thanking everyone as she announced the astounding $115M total.
“Is this real?” said the comedian, adding: “Thank you, thank you.”
Along with other A-list celebrities such as Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Lopez and Michael Strahan, the SNL alumn asked for donations to help relief and recovery efforts.
“Our city is under attack, but we’ve been here before,” Robert De Niro said in the spirit of the night. “In the last 20 years, both 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy. You can take your best shot but you cannot break our spirit.”
The one-hour telethon benefits the organization, Robin Hood who provides food, shelter, mental health, legal services and other services for the needy.