WLWT Raises $718,559 For Hurricane Relief

CINCINNATI -- WLWT News 5 has been "Taking Action" for hurricane victims, and viewers have been answering the call.

Over three days, Greater Cincinnati donated $718,559 to the Target 5 "Taking Action" Hurricane Relief Phone Bank. The money goes directly to the American Red Cross and its hurricane relief effort.

"We are in awe of the Tri-state's generosity. The people of the Greater Cincinnati area have stepped up in an amazing way, and we couldn't be more proud to play a small role in generating the support for people in such great need," said WLWT-TV Vice President and General Manager Richard J. Dyer.

"We thank the Red Cross for its incredible coordination and the organizing of the numerous great volunteer teams. The people of the Gulf Coast will be hurting for a long time, and this will be an ongoing relief effort. They need our help, and with our friends at the Red Cross and other volunteer organizations, News 5 will continue to support the relief efforts during this very long rebuilding process," Dyer said.

Staffers and volunteers from the Cincinnati chapter of the American Red Cross manned phones at the WLWT studios for more than 50 hours.

In addition, WLWT teamed up with the six other broadcast television stations in Greater Cincinnati to produce a one-hour telethon, "Tri-State Together," to raise more money for relief efforts.

News 5 anchors Dave Wagner and Sandra Ali helped host the show, and chief meteorologist Jim O'Brien and meteorologist Kristen Cornett helped man the phones.

The telethon brought in $322,671.

This was the first time that all seven stations united for a single broadcast to raise money. In a joint statement, Dyer and other station general managers committed to a unified effort to help the victims.

"Watching the coverage of the hurricane devastation naturally makes you ask yourself, 'What can I do?' That is why we've come together, to rally with the Tri-State to generate badly needed help for those hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina," the statement said.