Dutch telethon raises €1.5m for ebola-hit areas

For one day last week, broadcasters in the Netherlands worked to drum up support for giro 555, a program that sees the country's radio and television firms team up behind a single cause. The effort appears to have paid off, with viewers and listeners contributing €1,450,779. All money raised goes to agencies assisting in areas hard hit by the Ebola virus. The cooperative effort comes just a few weeks before the National Action Week from November 23 to 28, when people in the Netherlands will be asked to give more. The target fundraising amount is €15 million. Last year, roughly €36 million was raised to provide assistance in the Philippines after a devastating typhoon wreaked havoc across the Asian country.