On Friday, Jan. 22, countless people across the nation came together with one goal in mind—to aid Haiti in its dire time of need. George Clooney’s Hope for Haiti Now telethon aired on popular networks such as MTV and Bravo with the help of celebrities of all kinds. Musicians, actors, actresses, and producers rallied together to help with the cause. Justin Timberlake, Bono, Steven Spielberg, Brad Pitt, and many others used their talents and presence to promote donations for Haiti. Singers Rihanna, Jay-Z, Bono, and The Edge performed an original song called “Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)”, Beyonce sang “Halo” with Chris Martin on piano, and many other performances occurred while calls came pouring in. Actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Denzel Washington, told stories of rescue missions and survivors in the earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12. Lisa Paulsen, the CEO and president of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, was quoted saying, “The public has set a new standard of giving for a relief telethon with Hope for Haiti Now, and the donations continue to come in.”

The relief telethon accumulated more than 57 million dollars and the donations are still flowing. For the next six months, people can donate through text messaging, calling, or visiting the Hope for Haiti online site. The earnings will be divided between the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, the Red Cross, the U.N. World Food Program, UNICEF, Yele Haiti Foundation, and other disaster relief organizations. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck the Caribbean island on Jan. 12, making it the worst disaster to befall the improvised country in 250 years. Numerous countries, such as the United States, Canada, Brazil, and the United Kingdom, responded to the call and guaranteed humanitarian aid–funds, rescue and medical assistance, and support personnel–to the poorest country in Western Hemisphere. Even after this tragedy, there is still hope to rebuild Haiti from the ground up in the coming years.