Chan, Li Pitch In For Disaster Aid Joining Chinese Canadian Tsunami Relief Efforts January 7th 2005 07:05pm | Posted by: Robert Falconer HNR Senior Editor A 4-hour performance, featuring action movie hero Jackie Chan, Lethal Weapon 4 and Hero star Jet Li, along with many other stars will be brought to Chinese Canadians as part of a second national tsunami relief telethon by Fairchild Television in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross on Saturday, January 8, at 8pm EST/PST. This second telethon in one week, organized by Fairchild Television in Canada, will raise additional funds for victims of the tsunami-devastated Southern Asian countries. “In a matter of 3 hours, Chinese Canadian viewers contributed a phenomenal CDN$500,000 through our previous telethon held on January 2, when we partnered with World Vision Canada,” stated Joe Chan, President of Fairchild Television. Love, specifically adapted from the classic charity theme song “We Are the World,” was featured in the performance of the January 2 telethon. Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung and other top Hong Kong stars sang this rendition, which contained entirely new Chinese lyrics. January 8th's telethon will see additional stars, such as Jet Li, Kelly Chan, Aaron Kwok, etc, contribute to a new version of Love. Unlike the original We Are the World, the Chinese version will not be released for sale, making the performance airing Saturday that much more special. “I am extremely proud of witnessing the enthusiasm expressed by the Chinese community in Canada to the tsunami victims and cannot think of a more appropriate song to be associated with these efforts,” the Fairchild executive added. An exclusive number, 1-877-906-2639, with 50 designated phone lines and Chinese-speaking call-takers, have been arranged by the Canadian Red Cross throughout the telethon to assist in accepting funds. “We hope that this arrangement will sufficiently eliminate any delays in answering donors' calls, which will in turn help maximize the result of the telethon.” Chan remarked. Fairchild Television, Canada's only Chinese television network and one of the nation's original specialty channels, serves Chinese Canadian viewers via cable and satellite. In addition to providing quality Chinese television programming to Canadians, Fairchild has a long tradition of spearheading fundraising efforts and supporting community events. On Dec. 26, Jet Li found himself running for his life with his two daughters in his arms when the tsunami crashed into the Maldives resort where they were vacationing. He, his daughters and their maid managed to survive the ordeal, which has given Li a new outlook on life. “I really hope that this show of love for humanity will not be brief like a 100-metre race, but will persist like a marathon. I hope this will pass on for generations to come,” he said. Li said the life-or-death experience has given him courage to fulfill his wishes. “Some things I dared not do in the past, I am ready to do them now,” Li said. Source: CNW In: National News |Visit the HNR Forums

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