At the event organized by the popular entertainer Don Francisco Chilean participation of political leaders, artists and entrepreneurs, the money will go to earthquake victims.
The telethon “Chile helps Chile” raised more than 30 billion Chilean pesos (about $ 59 million) that will go to the victims of the earthquake of 8.8 Richter scale that struck the country last February 27.
The charity event organized by the popular Chilean animator Don Francisco, and the participation of political leaders, artists, entrepreneurs and hundreds of thousands of Chileans, doubled the goal he had set out to build 30 thousand houses emergency.
The total amount raised was 30 thousand 212 million 775 thousand 555 Chilean pesos (just over $ 59 million).
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said her country has everything to overcome this tragedy, which so far has left over 800 dead and rebuild the country that suffered the loss of 500 thousand homes and left two million homeless.
The telethon, which lasted for about 25 consecutive hours and was broadcast on national radio and television, involving artists such as Juanes, Beto Cuevas, Miriam Hernandez and Chilean folk music singer Tropical America.
While singers who were prevented from attending, as Shakira, Juan Luis Guerra, Alejandro Sanz and Nely Furtado, sent recorded messages in which they expressed their solidarity with the Chilean people by the time of mourning that crosses due to the devastating earthquake.
The president-elect of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, who will take office next Thursday, said it aims to form a national unity government to undertake the reconstruction, which require enormous investment and effort.
Besides Don Francisco, “Chile helps Chile was conducted by the owner of” La Academia “, TV Azteca, Rafael Araneda, the cheerleader of the Festival of Viña del Mar, Soledad Oneto, and the best known faces on local television.
Some owners of major firms, like Jean-Paul Luksic, Rafael Guilisasti and Horst Paulman, participated in the telethon answering calls from the public to make donations.
The broadcast national radio and television was generated from the Teatro Teleton of the Chilean capital, where paraded representatives of enterprises, institutions and civic associations to make their donations.
Some donors were Jose Luis Nazar, a humble Chilean who became a millionaire in the U.S. and contributed about 490 thousand dollars, and the Chilean writer Isabel Allende, who called to announce a contribution of half a million dollars.
In the final event of the Luksic Group, a leading business conglomerates in the country, donated $ 5.3 million, and Argentine singer Diego Torres performed “Color esperanza”, quite in keeping with the occasion.
In closing, took the stage Bachelet and Pinera, who have crossed Diego Torre, and Don Francisco, excited, with tears in his eyes, said that Chile has received the biggest blow of its history but it went ahead.
Bachelet and Pinera exchanged a long hug and sang the Chilean anthem taking a national flag along with 20 television hosts who were on stage at the Teatro Teleton, a sign of unity.
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Diego R.
