S. Samuel
A week after music icons The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Kanye West and more rocked a publicized 12-12-12 Hurricane Sandy relief concert, new reports claim the entire event has raised $50 million.
According to reports, the money is already set to get distributed to areas affected by the disaster.
The clearinghouse for the money raised from last week’s “121212: The Concert for Sandy Relief” concert and telethon has announced it is ready to distribute the first $50 million to various organizations aiding victims of the superstorm that devastated large sections of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in late October. “The money raised to date is going right to hundreds of organizations in the tri-state area serving those who need it most,” David Saltzman, executive director of Robin Hood Foundation, said in a statement issued Wednesday. “Robin Hood has already begun granting the funds for Sandy relief. We are continuing to raise funds through various ongoing sales opportunities and donations and we urge people to continue to contribute.” (Los Angeles Times)
Despite raking in big dollars, the concert telethon fell short of breaking past records.
But the benefit’s tally fell short of other recent telethon-style fund-raisers, like the Hope for Haiti concert that was broadcast on MTV in January 2010, which raised about $61 million. It also did not exceed the $55 million gathered in 1985 (about $118 million in 2012 dollars) for famine victims at the Live Aid concerts, according to BBC news. Those concerts drew tens of thousands of fans to stadiums in London and Philadelphia. (New York Times)
Prior to raised donations, the concert reportedly brought in over $30 million.
Besides the Garden, people gathered in theatres across the region and country to watch the show. The sold-out 12-12-12 concert was being shown on 37 television stations in the United States and more than 200 others worldwide. It was to be streamed on 30 websites, including YouTube and Yahoo, and played on radio stations. Theatres, including 27 in the New York region and dozens more elsewhere, were showing it live. Proceeds from the show will be distributed through the Robin Hood Foundation. More than $US30 million ($A28.55 million) was raised through ticket sales alone. (News Au)
At the event, Kanye West performed a slew of hits including the Jay-Z and Big Sean-assisted “Clique” single.
Many were hesitant towards his performance. Which of Kanye’s own songs are even appropriate for such an event. Plus, let’s not forget what happened the last time Kanye was invited to a televised benefit event. But this time, Kanye let his passion speak through his music, with the sound resonating through the stadium louder than most of the grey-haired bands on the bill. While some groups only got five minutes of airtime, Kanye performed a tight 12-track set, kicking off with his latest “Cruel Summer” hit, “Clique.” (Billboard)
Check out footage of Kanye West’s 12-12-12 performance:
