The top names in entertainment, including such names as John Legend, Amy Adams, and LL Cool J, are hosting Zoom fundraisers through Richard Weitz's "Quarantunes" series to raise money for coronavirus frontline initiatives. 

Hollywood agent Richard Weitz, a partner at WME, told Cheddar on Friday that the idea for the charitable musical series came from wanting to make his daughter’s birthday special amid the pandemic.

“I was throwing a surprise birthday for my daughter Demi who was turning 17, and I hired a piano player from Chicago named Dario Giraldo who played Redhead Piano Bar," Weitz said. "I wanted to organize some fun on Zoom for Demi and her friends.” 

His daughter was actually the one who encouraged him to turn the concept into a fundraiser to help support those on the frontlines and others in need. 

“From there we knew we had a platform and my dad kept doing it and it got a little more traction and he invited more friends," Demi Wietz told Cheddar. " I was like dad we need to raise money for the people in need right now, for charities, for organizations, for hospitals like we have this platform and we should do something with it, so we turned it into a charity benefit concert,” 

The concert series, which streams over the videoconferencing platform, selects a different organization to support each week and has already raised almost $1 million to help aid workers on the frontlines 

Last week, the Weitzes teamed up with Jake Wood, CEO and co-founder of Team Rubicon, a nonprofit that helps reintegrate veterans back into civilian life and already raised more than $500,000. 

Woods said that the investment bank Goldman Sachs had been eager to support Team Rubicon’s efforts and during the Quarantunes event it donated almost $150,000 to the fundraiser.

“A couple weeks ago, a partner in the private wealth division at Goldman Sachs reached out to me and said, “Hey we’ve learned about this private concert series that’s going on and being hosted by this father-daughter duo in Los Angeles and we’d love to bring some of our clients into it and have the proceeds benefit Team Rubicon,’” he explained.

Team Rubicon has deployed more than 4,000 volunteers to the frontlines of the pandemic, staffing underfunded hospitals and running mobile testing clinics in major cities across the country. 

Share:
More In Culture
Chloe X Halle Talk Music and Upcoming LG Gaming Battle
Chloe and Halle Bailey are no strangers to hard work. The sisters got their start performing covers on YouTube and have become a force in the music industry. Since then, the two have spread their wings beyond their duo group to individual projects. Now they're coming together to face off in the LG OLED Ultimate Gaming Showdown. Chloe and Halle join Cheddar News to discuss.
Actor Nichole Galicia Talks New Paramount+ Show '1883'
The highly anticipated prequel to the Paramount+ drama 'Yellowstone' premieres on the streaming site this Sunday. '1883' tracks the Dutton family's migration from Texas to Montana as they endure the hardships of the Oregon Trail. Actor Nichole Galicia joins Cheddar News to talk about working on the show and her non-profit 'The Orchid Foundation.'
Tips for Last-Minute Holiday Decorating
Mélanie Berliet, General Manager of The Spruce, joins Your Future Home to discuss ways to spruce up holiday decor as we inch closer to Christmas, and how to open up more space in communal areas to host your holiday party.
J&J Vaccine, Build Back Later & Love, Hate, Ate
Carlo and Baker wrap up another week discussing the latest explosion in new Covid cases in the Northeast, President Biden's stalled agenda and more. Plus, Love, Hate, Ate featuring the question: why did movie dialogue get so hard to understand?
Netflix Releases Coming-of-Age Reality Show 'Twentysomethings: Austin'
Move over 'The Real World,' there's a new reality show in town and fans can't get enough. Netflix's new reality show 'Twentysomethings: Austin' follows eight strangers become roommates. Stars Natalie Gable and Keauno Perez join Cheddar News to talk about their experience on the show.
Business Competiion Show 'Unicorn Hunters' is Back With New Episodes
'Unicorn Hunters' gives business owners the potential of reaching a billion-dollar valuation, but before they can get the capital they have to impress the 'Circle of Money.' Rosie Rios, former U.S. Treasurer and co-host of 'Unicorn Hunters,' joins Cheddar News to talk more about the show.
Load More