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Red Cross telethon raises $20,000 locally for Hurricane Harvey relief

Right now, the American Red Cross is focused on finding shelter and food for victims. They said the next step will be reuniting families. 

 

The Red Cross of East Tennessee held a phone bank and telethon Monday for disaster relief, raising more than $20,000.

WBIR partnered with the American Red Cross to raise funds for relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

During the three-hour telethon, generous East Tennesseans called in to donate $20,215.

A Red Cross spokesperson said 91 cents of every dollar donated will go to people impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

Right now, the organization is focused on finding shelter and food for victims. They said the next step will be reuniting families.

If you'd like to donate, you can call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-435-7669.

You can also text 'HARVEY' to 90999 for an automatic $10 donation. For more, visit Redcross.org or WBIR.com/TexasCares

RELATED: Ways East Tennesseans can help Hurricane Harvey victims

TEGNA, which is the company that owns WBIR, has launched a fund called, Texas Cares, using the power of 46 local television stations and their local audiences to help the cause. Stations are running stories on-air and across social media, hosting telethons, telling stories of impact and informing viewers how they can help.

In the first 24 hours, more than $1.15 million was raised by TEGNA's Texas Care's initiative for the Red Cross Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. TEGNA matched the first $100,000 in donations.

“This is just the beginning. We will use this momentum to continue to serve our communities and help improve the lives of those in need,” said Dave Lougee, president and CEO, TEGNA. “I want to especially thank Lowe’s Home Improvements who, during a Texas Cares telethon on WCNC in Charlotte, donated $500,000. I am incredibly proud of how our stations and communities have come together to help those impacted by Hurricane Harvey and serve the greater good.”

TEGNA owns 12 television stations in Texas, including KHOU in Houston, which had to be evacuated after the building flooded.

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