All news

All World Together TV marathon raises over 700 million rubles

Funds raised will be used for building new houses for the flood victims

MOSCOW, October 1 (Itar-Tass) -- The All the World Together marathon held by Russia's First TV channel on Sunday has raised more than 700 million rubles already, a source from the public relations department of the TV company told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.

The charity marathon which had been held on First Channel throughout Sunday continued from 8.00 am until midnight. A meter displayed in the left- hand corner of the TV screen showed how much funds had been raised by the moment the broadcast was on. Around 60 people who suffered as a result of the flooding were featured on TV screens while the charity marathon continued.

Several hundred TV workers were involved in the organization and presentation of events held in its framework. The events were featured from several places at once - from the news room of First Channel headquarters and from its studios for popular TV talk shows, including a studio in Moscow Gorki park and a studio for the most popular TV show "Voice" located on Luzhniki premises in the southwest of the city, where famous musicians and pop singers gave free concerts in support of the flood victims.

Residents of the country who took part in the charity act sent SMS messages worth 40- 50 rubles each to the assigned telephone number, and the telephone operator company contributed the charity contributions to the marathon fund. Some people said that they had sent 200 and even 300 such SMS messages. A man from Baku, Emin, sent the biggest number of SMS messages (683) in support to the flood victims.

The funds raised will be used for building new houses for the flood victims who lost their homes during the severe flooding in the Far East. First channel will also ensure control over the deliveries of construction materials and assembly of houses in the final stage, and account for all the stages of the process to the TV audiences.