Stars come out to raise spirits, cash at telethon

Callers to telethon hope celebrity answers phone By Hal Boedeker Sentinel Television Critic Sentinel Staff Writer September 22, 2001 George Clooney saluted a New York policeman who lost his life. Bruce Springsteen in song implored "rise up." Tom Hanks called it "a moment to rededicate ourselves to the American spirit." The unprecedented program America: A Tribute to Heroes appealed to the country Friday night in direct, understated style to aid relief efforts after last week's terrorist attacks. "I think this is another step to bring people closer together," said Carolyn Standner, 40, of Oviedo, an administrative assistant of the University of Central Florida and a native New Yorker. "It's a wonderful thing. It's on all the stations, including HBO. I'm totally impressed with that." Cynthia Washington, 55, whose brother is listed among the missing World Trade Center victims, watched the telethon from her home in Lake Mary. She particularly enjoyed listening to Springsteen and Stevie Wonder, but "the most important thing was seeing those pictures of the volunteers," she said. Washington's younger brother, Mannie Clark, 54, was a security guard who worked on the 97th floor of Tower 1. Born and raised in Sanford, Clark was a widower with three grown children. The two-hour marathon was a simple production that avoided Academy Awards-style glitz, though it featured some of the entertainment industry's biggest names. But even with a lineup that included Clint Eastwood at his steeliest and Tom Cruise, the program wasn't mandatory viewing for some Central Floridians. Angela Gibson, an Orlando makeup artist, knew about the special but didn't watch because she was getting her car repaired. "Life goes on, and it's like the president said, maybe what we need to do is go back to doing what we do," she said. The program was a bonanza for music fans, who could see many of their favorites perform live surrounded by hundreds of flickering candles. Tom Petty sang "I Won't Back Down," and Neil Young picked John Lennon's "Imagine." Billy Joel performed his "New York State of Mind," and Paul Simon sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Mariah Carey returned from a much-publicized breakdown to sing "Hero." Celine Dion, a Canadian, performed a rousing version of "God Bless America." The program concluded with Willie Nelson leading the celebrities in a ragged version of "America, the Beautiful." The show had no audience, no host, no introductions and no Hollywood self-congratulation. The actors conducted themselves in utter seriousness. Kelsey Grammer quoted President John F. Kennedy. Jim Carrey praised two people who saved a wheelchair-bound stranger. Julia Roberts honored heroes at the Pentagon disaster, and said, "Life is so precious. Please, please, let's love one another." Cameron Diaz paid tribute to teachers near the World Trade Center. Will Smith and Muhammad Ali asked viewers to show tolerance toward Muslims. The performers' dedication clearly moved some viewers. "I'm a Vietnam veteran, and I really appreciate everything they are doing for this," said Terry Croft, 55, of Orlando. He watched the show from the Shipyard Brewing Company at the Orlando International Airport while he waited for his wife's flight to arrive. At Orlando's Fire Station No. 1, more than a dozen firefighters watched the telethon from old La-Z-Boys. They cracked occasional jokes during the songs, but watched quietly during the spoken segments. John McCormack, who has been a firefighter for 19 years, said he liked how the music was "a little bit of everything, but it all relates to the situation." He also praised the telethon for telling "real-life stories of people rather than focusing on the destruction." America: A Tribute to Heroes was carried by more than three dozen cable and broadcast networks. More than 8,000 radio stations, including 96.5 FM (WHTQ) locally, relayed the broadcast, and Internet users could see it streamed on Yahoo. The program was the brainchild of top executives at the major broadcast networks who conferred last weekend. They, however, maintained silence about their roles. Information about the program dribbled out slowly, unusual for Hollywood. The lack of publicity could have hurt. "I didn't even know this was on tonight," said Orlando attorney Diana Tennis, 35, as she picked up her cell phone and began dialing the donation number from the Baraka Cafe in downtown Orlando. "I can't believe they put this thing together in just a few days." The performers worked primarily from two locations, a Sony stage in New York and a set at CBS' Television City in Los Angeles. But U2 and Sting performed live from London. Beyond the many actors and musicians taking leading roles, other celebrities took calls from donors. Among those who could be spotted were Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Brad Pitt, Sally Field, Goldie Hawn, Whoopi Goldberg, Halle Berry and Andy Garcia. Richard Doerge of Kissimmee, who turned 35 on Sept. 11, was sitting at Stinger Ray's bar in the main concourse of the Orlando International Airport. He was with two friends, airline employees who had been laid off earlier that day. "My wife is giving money," he said. "She asked whether she should give $20 or $50. I told her $50. She wanted to talk to Julia Roberts. She told me she wanted to make sure the money went to the families." But many callers reported having trouble getting through. "I tried and tried to call and make a donation," said Sandra Palkovik of Longwood. "All I got was this, 'This call cannot be made from your calling area.' I thought they had people from Lake Mary answering some of these calls."

I apologize if I've posted this incorrectly. I read "Help" and otherwise tried to figure it out. Anyway, this is my letter to, and the response I received from, the Orlando Sentinel's TV critic when I complained about his glowing words about the telethon: It was awful. Dreary, dreary, dreary, and relentlessly downbeat. No patriotic, uplifting songs except at the very end -- and that sung by a Canadian! (although she did it very well). No -- that's NO mention of the President, though of course they quoted JFK and FDR. They couldn't even put aside their politics for this occasion. I've given money to the Red Cross, and I'm going to donate to the Sentinel's McCormick Tribune Foundation, but I'm sure as heck not contributing to United Way. Ugh Here's the email I received from him: Thanks for your observations. The entertainers' main focus was to honor the dead and raise money for their families. So that's why most of the words were about the people at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I thought the program was somber, not dreary. It was never meant to be a celebration. And it wasn't to be a patriotic rally, either. It's my understanding that the performers chose their songs and their words to express their solidarity with the mourning and those who are hurting. It wasn't regular entertainment in any sense, and shouldn't be judged by those standards. As for quoting other presidents ... I hope you noticed that it was very hard for Kelsey Grammer to take part in that program because he lost one of his dearest friends, a creator of "Frasier" who was aboard a plane that crashed into the World Trade Center. Criticizing him would be like picking apart a eulogy. As for Robert De Niro quoting FDR, well, many parallels have been drawn between the terrorist attacks and Pearl Harbor, and FDR's words have stood the test of time. I don't think the program was meant to political in any terms, and all those celebrities were there to show their support. They were there to raise money, above all, and that they have done. No figures are out yet, but I've heard they brought in tens of millions. That will all go to the victims' families, and that in the end, is the important thing. Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel

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