Tina Fey announces USD 115 mn for COVID-19 relief in New York

Actor Tina Fey has pledged to donate a whopping of USD 115 million towards the coronavirus relief effort in New York. The lumpsum amount has been raised via a virtual telethon.

Washington: American actor Tina Fey shed tears after announcing that more than USD 115 million was raised toward supporting New Yorkers impacted by the COVID-19 during a virtual telethon.

According to Fox News, on Monday evening, the host of the Rise Up New York! event Fey said with teary eyes, "Thank you, thank you." The Emmy-winning actor along with other A-list celebrities, including Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Lopez and Michael Strahan, asked for donations to help relief and recovery efforts.

Robert De Niro said, "Our city is under attack, but we've been here before. 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 benefit was presented by the New York-based poverty-fighting organisation, Robin Hood and iHeartMedia.

Robin Hood said all the donations will provide support for food, shelter, cash assistance, mental health, legal services and education.

"If you had breakfast today, you are better off than 2 million of your neighbours who woke up hungry," Fey said.

During the show, American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey performed her 1992 song Make It Happen. She sang while her backup singers and pianist performed on separate screens to the upbeat tune.

"We can make it through this together," Carey said.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Cynthia Erivo, Idina Menzel, Ben Platt and others performed a rendition of Frank Sinatra's classic song New York, New York, while Lopez introduced PS22 Chorus, a collection of New York elementary school students who sang American singer Andra Day's Rise Up.

Lopez, a New York native, said, "New York, I know your strength."

Film director Spike Lee shared encouraging words that sports would return someday soon. Streisand and Audra McDonald showed the same optimism about New York City's Theater District coming back "stronger than ever" after being closed due to the pandemic lockdown.

Other musical performances included English musician and actor Sting's Message in a Bottle and Bon Jovi's It's My Life.

With inputs from ANI.