Hollywood stars shine for hurricane victims
Gary Gentile

LOS ANGELES — Canadian pop singer Celine Dion donated one million dollars to lead a growing effort by Hollywood music and film stars to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina. From actors Morgan Freeman and Leonardo DiCaprio to Dion, rap star Usher and rock group Green Day, Hollywood began rolling out its talent and pocketbooks to raise money for the storm’s victims.
Three days after the massive storm left possibly thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless along the US Gulf Coast, Hollywood is mobilizing like an army with charity concerts and telethons scheduled for coming weeks. DiCaprio, star of “Titanic” and “The Aviator” will highlight an NBC concert-telethon Friday night to raise money for the American Red Cross relief operation. Dion’s million-dollar donation will also go to the Red Cross, her publicist said in a statement from Montreal Thursday. The show will feature performances by jazz crooner Harry Connick Jr., and country music star Tim McGraw, who both call hurricane-ravaged New Orleans home.
“I haven’t slept in days,” said Connick, who grew up in the city. “Although I now finally know that my immediate family in New Orleans is safe, I have not heard from many, many friends and other family members,” he said. “New Orleans is my essence, my soul, my muse, and I can only dream that one day she will recapture her glory. I will do everything within my power to make that happen,” Connick said.
McGraw, who was born in Louisiana, said he was heartbroken by the hurricane, which sent a million people fleeing their homes and left New Orleans under water. “Like so many Americans I am watching the news reports with great sadness. But it’s at times like these that each of us must work together to provide lifesaving aid to those in terrible need.”
Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman, who comes from Memphis, Tennessee directly north of New Orleans, will help raise money in a benefit auction Friday organized by the Internet operation charityfolks.com. Freeman, who starred in the acclaimed 1994 film “The Shawshank Redemption,” will auction tickets to see his soon-to-be-released film “An Unfinished Life.”
Cable television’s popular music channel MTV is meanwhile pulling together top acts like rapper Usher, neo-punk band Green Day and rhythm-and-blues chanteuse Alicia Keys for a fund-raising concert scheduled for September 10. Jerry Lewis, one of Hollywood’s most legendary comedians, is also lending his energy to Katrina disaster relief.
Lewis was already planning to hold his annual telethon to raise money to fight muscular dystrophy on September 3. On Wednesday Lewis announced that his organization would divide the money they raise this year between victims of the hurricane-stricken communities and their traditional beneficiaries dealing with muscular dystrophy.
Another New Orleans native, jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, will lead a roster of stars for a concert organized by the BET cable television channel to raise money for victims. Meanwhile, BET owner Viacom said it was giving one million dollars to the Red Cross for relief, and global entertainment giant Walt Disney announced it is donating 2.5 million dollars to support rescue efforts. “The devastation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is simply heartbreaking and our thoughts are with those struggling in the aftermath of this disaster,” Disney president Michael Eisner said in a statement.