Robert De Niro, Katie Couric, Michael J. Fox and more than a dozen other celebrities will appear in a public-service announcement to raise funds for the state’s newly created Superstorm Sandy relief fund.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the creation of the Empire State Relief Fund at his Friday briefing on the state’s response to the storm. The fund will focus on distributing money to help rebuild homes or provide long-term housing, Cuomo said.
“The Empire State Relief Fund will be dedicated to helping them rebuild their homes throughout the affected regions of the state for the long-term, bridging the gap between what the government and private insurance can do and what New Yorkers will ultimately need to rebuild their lives,” Cuomo said in a statement.
All of the major broadcast networks have agreed to air the upcoming PSA, Cuomo said, as well as Google, Cablevision and Time Warner Cable. It will feature a number of well-known names, including actor Matthew Broderick, New York Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire and Whoopi Goldberg.
Contributions can be made to the Empire State Relief Fund by visiting its newly launched website. A $10 donation can be made by texting “RELIEF” (735433) to 80000, according to Cuomo’s office.
Release written by Jon Campbell