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
Small Steps to Improve Your Finances
Sonali Divilek, Head of Digital Products & Channels at Chase, joins ChedHER to discuss what consumers can learn from the Chase Challenge, and easy ways that people can tidy up their finances this holiday season.
Why the Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner Is Jumping 21 Percent This Year
If you're planning to host Thanksgiving dinner this year, be prepared to shell out more cash for your bird. Kristin Myers, Editor-in-Chief at The Balance, joined Cheddar to talk about the rising cost of food due to a number of factors like drought, inflation, and supply chain issues. She noted that families can expect to pay 21 percent more for their holiday meal compared to last year.
Verdict Watch, Patient Zero & Love, Hate, Ate
Jill and Carlo are back to cover the latest in the Rittenhouse trial, new information on the origins of Covid, return-to-office and more. JOIN US FOR THE YOUTUBE WATCH PARTY @ 9aET: http://www.youtube.com/cheddarnow
Roundhill Investments' 'META' ETF Targets Investments in the Metaverse
Roundhill Investments is investing in the metaverse, and it wants consumers to as well. The firm launched a metaverse exchange-trade fund called Meta back in June - the first ETF in the U.S. targeting investments in the next era of the internet. The fund's launch came months before the company formerly known as Facebook changed its name to Meta Platforms. Since the launch of Roundhill Investments' Meta ETF, it has grown significantly, reaching $500 million in assets. Roundhill Investments Vice President Mario Stefanidis joined Cheddar News to discuss.
Re-Examining Janet Jackson's Wardrobe 'Wardrobe Malfunction'
At the turn of the century, a group of female pop stars, actors, influencers began to dominate Hollywood in every conversation in the entertainment industry, whether it was Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, we watched their lives unfold in real-time, seemingly right in front of our eyes. But perhaps the most glaring example of the misogyny these women face came in 2004 when Justin Timberlake tugged at Janet Jackson's booster in the closing seconds of the Super Bowl 38 halftime show. Now 20 years later, that moment in history is being re-examined. Senior Reporter at Vox Constance Grady, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Evolving Trans Representation in TV Past Common Narratives
'General Hospital' actor and activist Cassandra James joins Cheddar News to talk about recent transphobic comments made by her co-star Ingo Rademacher. She also discusses trans rights and the importance of having fair and accurate stories of trans lives portrayed in the media.
Innovation in Cold Therapy Training; Robotics to Transform Dishwashing
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Ice Barrel CEO breaks down the physical and mental health benefits to cold therapy training; Dishcraft CEO explains how its robotics is transforming the role of a dishwasher in restaurant kitchens; A look at Curiosity Stream's original series 'The Year That Rocked The World.'
Load More