Red Nose Day Crosses the Pond, Raises Funds Through Humor

While the urgent support needed for many social and environmental issues is no laughing matter, sometimes a dose of humor is just what is needed to motivate people to support important causes. This is the lesson learned from the U.K.'s #1 television fundraising event, which over a span of thirty years has raised more than $1 billion in donations. For the first time ever, the event will be taking over American televisions screens for a major fundraising affair.

Red Nose Day, the British institution, came to the U.S. for the first time last night with a three-hour television program on NBC, using humor to raise awareness and funds for a good cause. The mammoth event featured skits, performances and videos from nearly 100 celebrities and musicians with the goal to "lift children and young people out of poverty in the U.S. and in some of the poorest communities in the world." The event, with help from corporate partners Walgreen's and M&M's, aligned with 12 nonprofit organizations including charity: water, Feeding America, Oxfam America, and Save the Children.

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