The "One World Together at Home" event, a
combination of music, comedy and stories from doctors, nurses
and grocery workers, also announced an additional six-hour
streaming event that will include appearances by major sports
stars, including British Formula One racing champion Lewis
Hamilton, U.S. women's World Cup soccer player Megan Rapinoe,
World Cup skier Lindsey Vonn and dozens of other singers, actors
and social media influencers.
The April 18 streaming event will precede the two-hour show to
be broadcast across multiple North American and international
television networks on Saturday evening in the biggest effort so
far to show solidarity with frontline workers.
All those taking part in the event, organized by the World
Health Organization (WHO) and advocacy group Global Citizen,
will appear remotely due to social distancing and shutdowns
aimed at curtailing the spread of the disease that has killed
more than 124,000 people worldwide.
"Our hope for the special is that everyone will come away
believing that we, as a shared humanity, can emerge from this
moment forever grateful for the work of doctors, nurses,
teachers, grocery store workers, and all those who are the
backbone of our communities,” Hugh Evans, co-founder and chief
executive of Global Citizen, said in a statement.
Lady Gaga announced the event last week but it has since
expanded dramatically and now includes some of the biggest
celebrities in the world, including Celine Dion, Billie Eilish,
John Legend, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Chris Martin, Andrea
Bocelli and Michael Buble.
While the special is not billed as a public fundraiser, it is
also aimed at encouraging philanthropists and companies to dig
into their pockets and contribute to the WHO's Covid-19
Solidarity Response Fund. Gaga said last week that more than $35
million had been raised from corporations.
"When we do air live on April 18th, put your wallets away, your
credit cards away, anything away that you need to and sit back
and enjoy the show that you all very much deserve," Gaga told a
news conference last week.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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