Our parent company Disney and all ABC TV stations, including KTRK-TV, have teamed up with the Red Cross to raise money to go directly to the areas most impacted by the superstorm in a Day of Giving.
This is a wonderful opportunity for folks who live here along the Gulf Coast who know what its like to live through the aftermath of a hurricane, and to help those in the Northeast in New Jersey and New York.
The Day of Giving takes place all day today here at ABC13 and we're asking our viewers to make a donation to the American Red Cross. It started this morning during Good Morning America and will last through Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Locally, we are encouraging our viewers to help out those now picking up the mess left behind by Sandy. Even if its a small amount, every little bit helps and it sure does add up. According to officials at the Red Cross in Houston, over a million dollars has been raised here so far, that is either through corporate or individual gifts.
"We are very thankful for ABC and Disney for reaching out to us to help the public and give them a way to help the Red Cross. We have a ton of people that volunteer with us, people that donate money periodically, but it's important initiatives like the Day of Giving to help people know really what they can do and how they can help those impacted by Sandy," said Cameron Ballantyne with the Red Cross Houston Chapter.
It's going to be some time before life gets back to normal for those who have been affected by the storm. Just to give you an idea of how many people are still out of their home, more than 4,000 people spent Sunday night in 61 Red Cross shelters in seven different states in the Northeast.
Our partner Samsung is going to match today's donations dollar for dollar up to $3 million.
To help out, you can either go online at RedCross.org/ABC; or you can call "1-800-HELP-NOW; or you can text ABC to 90999 for a $10 donation through your cell phone bill.
