WCNY JOINS FORCES WITH WSTM, WTVH, AND AMERICAN RED CROSS OF CENTRAL NEW YORK TO RAISE MONEY TO SUPPORT EARTHQUAKE RELIEF EFFORT IN HAITI

SYRACUSE, NY, (January 15, 2010) –  Together, WCNY, WSTM, WTVH, and American Red Cross of Central New York will host a fundraiser to benefit victims of the earthquake in Haiti on Monday, January 18.  The fundraiser will air during the news broadcast on WSTM and WTVH from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with Laura Hand along with live updates from WCNY studios.  From 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., the fundraiser will continue live with a special edition of WCNY’s “Central Issues” called “Help for Haiti” with host George Kilpatrick. Red Cross volunteers will field calls in the WCNY studios and take donations from community members looking to support the relief effort in Haiti.

The American Red Cross responds to international relief efforts with monetary support and no in-kind donations are needed. Financial gifts will go toward the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance, and other support to help those in need.  Members of the public can also donate to the American Red Cross online by visiting www.syrarc.org

To donate to the American Red Cross, call 315-451-WCNY (9269) or
1-800-451-WCNY (9269) on Monday, January 18 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and watch WSTM, WTVH, and WCNY for live updates.  Donations will be accepted through the phone bank until 8 p.m.

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About WCNY
WCNY is a private, tax-exempt, nonprofit organization, and member-supported affiliate of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) founded in 1965. We serve a 19-county viewing and listening area, reaching more than 1.8 million viewers.  WCNY broadcasts television programming on “Main Channel” 24.1 in Syracuse, WCNY2, and digital channels: Your TV 24.2, Cinema 24 – 24.3, and WCNY-HD – 24.4. All channels are carried by 33 cable carriers including Time Warner. WCNY is also the only station in our broadcast area that offers true HD 24-hours a day. WCNY-FM, the only classical music station in Central New York, is broadcast on WCNY-FM, 91.3 in Syracuse, WJNY-FM, 90.9 in Watertown, WUNY-FM, 89.5 in Utica, and is broadcast over the World Wide Web at www.wcny.org. Our visually impaired audience can access “Read-Out,” a radio reading service. WCNY offers educational videos online. We also produce original programming that inspires, educates, and entertains, and offer award-winning video production and media consulting services to the public.

About American Red Cross

You can help the victims of countless crises, like the recent earthquake in Haiti, around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster, please do so at the time of your donation by mailing your donation with the designation to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or to your local American Red Cross chapter. Donations to the International Response Fund can be made by phone at 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or online at www.redcross.org.