Contact: Anna Christopher
215.351.2066
Daneil Mazone
215.351.3316
December 8, 2005
WHYY MEMBERS SUPPORT HURRICANE KATRINA SURVIVORS IN THE
PHILADELPHIA REGION WITH MORE THAN $62,000 CONTRIBUTION
WHYY and more than 4,700 of its members joined together in a remarkable effort
to provide financial aid and community services to former Gulf Coast residents who
relocated to Philadelphia in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
More than $62,000 were raised during the WHYY TV12 September Membership
Drive to financially support the relief efforts of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of
the American Red Cross, and to sponsor special services in conjunction with Project
Brotherly Love, Philadelphia’s relief effort to assist hurricane survivors temporarily
living in local shelters.
WHYY President and CEO William J. Marrazzo handed a check for nearly
$56,000 to Tom Foley, CEO of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American
Red Cross, during WHYY’s December Membership Drive. Immediately following the
disaster, WHYY also provided approximately $6,200 worth of services to Project
Brotherly Love.
According to WHYY’s Marrazzo, “as we approached our September on-air TV
membership drive, Gulf Coast residents were in the midst of the devastation of Hurricane
Katrina, one of our nation’s most catastrophic natural disasters.
“WHYY had an obligation to help those victims who relocated to the Philadelphia
region. In good conscience, we could not ask our audiences to pledge their support to the
station without doing something to help this cause. We elected to earmark ten percent of
members’ contributions to a Safe Haven Fund for victims displaced to our region.
“WHYY used its resources to reach out and help others in a time of national
crisis: similar to our response to 9/11,” said Marrazzo. “Today, we are proud of our
members who contributed to WHYY’s Safe Haven Fund, and we are honored to give this
check of $55,972.32 to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red
Cross.”
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WHYY SUPPORTS KATRINA SURVIVORS 2-2-2-2
“The American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania thanks WHYY and its
members for their generous contributions to hurricane relief,” said the Red Cross’ Foley.
“This money will help to relieve suffering and provide financial assistance and emotional
care for Hurricane Katrina victims. In fact, 876 families evacuated from the Gulf Coast
have received those services right here in Philadelphia.”
In addition to WHYY’s financial support of the local Red Cross Chapter, WHYY
also worked with the City of Philadelphia to assist hurricane survivors living in local
shelters. WHYY encouraged Katrina survivors to take part in a digital history project —
“Tales of Hope” — by sharing their family history and personal storm stories on camera.
Each person will receive copies of their interview on DVD; for many, this became their
entire family’s history, as personal records, diaries and photos were lost to the storm.
Their stories are also available on WHYY’s Web site, www.whyy.org.
WHYY also held a Family Fun Day at the temporary shelter for evacuees at the
Wanamaker School in North Philadelphia, with costumed characters Clifford The Big
Red Dog, Caillou and Zoboomafoo to greet children and their parents; face painting;
coloring; crafts; and storytelling. Children also took home books, family journals and
stickers and games from WHYY children’s programs.
“It was important for WHYY to reach out and support this effort,” said Kerri
Hanlon, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of WHYY. “Everyday, tens of
thousands of people get to know WHYY through television, radio, the Web and
community events; we wanted to bring those same trusted programs and services directly
to those who needed them most.”
“Before the Gulf Coast evacuees arrived in Philadelphia, WHYY was the first
broadcast media asked by city officials to supply televisions, VCRs and videos of its
educational programming to the Wanamaker School shelter — further solidifying the
station’s standing in the region as a trusted source of news and information, and a “safe
harbor” for children,” said Hanlon.
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WHYY SUPPORTS KATRINA SURVIVORS 3-3-3-3
In the days and weeks after Hurricane Katrina, WHYY TV12 and 91FM
continued to provide its audience with the mix of national and regional news and
information programming they rely on. Delaware Tonight, the only nightly public affairs
program devoted to the news and issues of the First State, traveled to affected areas of
Jackson, Mississippi, with the Delaware National Guard to file on-the-scene reports. In
addition, a WHYY-TV story about a displaced family who relocated to Newark,
Delaware, caught the attention of New Castle County legislators, who vowed to provide
the family with housing.
WHYY-TV and FM also carried national Hurricane Katrina benefits programs
and news specials, including “Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast,”
“Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert” and NOW “Katrina: The Response.”
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