Norwegian artists waive talent fees to raise P180M for Yolanda victims

Volunteers from the Norwegian Red Cross and four other humanitarian organizations in Norway successfully raised at least P180 million (25 million kroner) for the victims of typhoon Yolanda through a charity concert featuring several prominent Norwegian artists who agreed to perform for free.

The concert, held Sunday at Norway's National Theater, was viewed by over 623,000 people over the state-run television network Norwegian Public Broadcasting (NRK). Among the artists who waived their talent fees for the concert were Anne Grete Preus, Ole Paus, Eva and The Heartmaker, and Morten Abel.

The event was organized by the Norwegian Red Cross in partnership with UNICEF Norway, Save the Children Norway, Norwegian Church Aid and the childcare organization Streetlight.

Throughout the hour and a half long concert, viewers were encouraged to donate 200 kroner (P1,400) to the relief efforts in the Philippines by texting the word "Dugnad" to a specific number on their mobile phones. Their contribution will simply be added to their phone bill.

The word "Dugnad" means unpaid, voluntary work in Norwegian language.

Kai Holmbergs, who helped mount the concert, said she was overwhelmed at the amount of support Norwegians gave to the fundraiser.

"I don't think an impulsive fundraiser has ever received this amount of donations before," she said in a statement released by the Norwegian embassy in Manila.

According to the Norwegian daily Norway Post, an orphanage owned by Streetlight in Tacloban City was among the structures completely destroyed by the typhoon. Erlend Johannesen, the volunteer who manages the orphanage, was able to save 70 children from the storm with the the help of his colleagues.

Johannesen has appealed for aid from his countrymen to help the organization rebuild the orphanage.

Aside from the concert, nearly 2,000 volunteers from the five Norway-based humanitarian organizations participated in a torchlight procession in Oslo and collected donations on foot. — Xianne Arcangel/BM, GMA News