Robert De Niro kicked off the virtual action. “We care about our neighbors, and that’s why we want to help,” the actor said. Mariah Carey also encouraged New Yorkers. “I know we’re strong enough to get through this. We’ll get through this. We can handle this together,” the singer said in a video before singing “Through The Rain” and “Make It Happen.”
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Sting performed his hit song “Message In A Bottle” from home during the event, and Lin-Manuel Miranda and several Broadway colleagues sang “New York, New York” via Zoom. Billy Joel had an extra surprise for his fellow townspeople during his performance. During his performance of “Miami 2017,” a light show kicked off on the Empire State Building in Manhattan.
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Rise Up New York! was broadcast on most local TV stations and was also shown in the rest of the US. The action lasted about an hour, after which Tina was allowed to announce how much money had been raised. When she saw that the counter stood at 115 million dollars, the comedian became emotional. “We did this, you did this. We made the difference. 115 million, what a beautiful day for New York.”
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The money raised will be distributed by the Robin Hood foundation, which fights poverty in the city. The organization’s website states that 100 percent of the proceeds will be spent on food, shelter, advances, health and psychological care, legal aid, education and more, “to help our fellow New Yorkers rebuild their lives now.” the city is recovering’.
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