CBS Chicago Cares Red Cross Telethon Raises Nearly $800,000

(CBS) -- A telethon Tuesday hosted by CBS 2 and the CBS Chicago radio stations, including WBBM, raised $785,660 for the American Red Cross.

The theme of this year's CBS Cares Telethon was fire safety. Not only does the Red Cross locally provide smoke detectors to homeowners and apartment dwellers, it also distributes food and clothing and finds temporary shelter for those displaced by more than 800 Chicago-area fires a year.

The executive director of the city of Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and communications, Gary Schenkel, said the Red Cross provides assistance that no one else can.

"We would not have the resources internally to the city, we would have to seek out another non-government type organization that would fill those spaces, and I just don't know of one that could do it," he said.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle agreed.

"I'm very grateful to the Red Cross," she said. "I always say that I believe in government, but government can't do everything and we depend on volunteer-based organizations like the Red Cross to fill in the gaps in the social safety net."
Heavy metal singer Dee Snider, Gov. Pat Quinn and Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner also took part.

any of the donations were for $5 or $10, although the largest donation was $500,000 by the Aon Corporation. CDW donated an additional $20,000.

Although the telethon is over, donations are still being taken at 1-800-RED-CROSS. For more information on the American Red Cross or to donate, click here.