Teletón USA 2014 Results & Highlights: Cristina Saralegui, Ricky Martin, Larry Hernandez & More Join in on Day Two [Watch]
Teletón USA 2014 ended Sunday morning at 3 a.m. EST, and after many hours in front of the cameras, the hosts managed to keep their energy levels up.
Galilea Montijo, for example, was there from the morning until the show ended, and though she went through a range of emotions, she still managed to show off her enthusiasm. By noon of the second day, the telethon had raised more than $2.5 million. The goal was more than $15 million.
This is the third year this event took place, with its goal being to raise money for children with disabilities. The money goes toward the Children's Rehabilitation Institute of Telethon USA, which has a location in San Antonio, Texas.
The telethon was on for 30 hours, starting on Friday night at 9 p.m. EST, and many familiar faces popped up in New York City, Chicago, Miami, San Antonio and Los Angeles–all of the locations where the show was broadcast live.
On the second day, Cristina Saralegui stopped by.
The former Univision star talked about her own struggles with her son, which she has been open about in the past. At the telethon, she just asked everyone to be sympathetic.
"Let's donate instead of criticize," she said.
Ricky Martin was one of the biggest superstars at the event. He sang his hit "Adios," and talked about how these children face discrimination on a daily basis. He explained that there are 58 million Latinos in the United States, and if everyone donated $1, they'd be able to change the lives of so many families.
"With telethons like this, we can make a change," he said.
For Larry Hernandez, the telethon was an emotional experience.
When his sister was pregnant, she was told she would be better off having an abortion, but his sister didn't want to do that. Hernandez told her he would be there for his sister, something that took promised before he became a singer.
His sister was deported, and it was Hernandez's mother who has taken charge of his niece.
There was about $5 million left to raise, and Hernandez told people they needed to realize that having a child with disabilities can happen to anyone.
When Hernandez's niece was brought out, he told her that she was a fighter. The two part of one of his songs together, and Hernandez couldn't keep the tears from forming.
A photo posted by univision (@univision) on Dec 12, 2014 at 10:35pm PST
Laura Pausini was another person who performed. She was joined by Alex Ubago, and though Pausini asked people to donate in Spanish, the Italian singer also spoke in her native tongue to try to reach more people.
One of the most moving performances was from a young boy. His story showed that though he was bound by a wheelchair, he didn't feel limited about what he could do. So he performed at the event and moved the audience.
Jencarlos Canela performed about 30 minutes before the end, and about five minutes before the end of the show, the final tally was revealed. The goal was $15,315,679, and the telethon raised $15,539,427.
At that point, the hosts broke out in celebration, and Mane de la Parra took the stage to sing. He was followed by El Dasa, who sang the official theme song for the event to close out the show, just as he sang it to kick off the event.
A video posted by univision (@univision) on Dec 12, 2014 at 11:56pm PST
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