Comedian Deon Cole Can't Wait to Host the Sweet Home Chicago Telethon! (EXCLUSIVE)
May 16 2020, Updated 11:23 a.m. ET
The Sweet Home Chicago Telethon is set to take place Saturday, May 16, and the event is hoping to raise funds in support of some important charities in the Windy City including the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund and the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund.
Helping to ensure that the telethon is a success is comedian and black-ish star Deon Cole, who will be hosting the show, which will air live on NBC Sports Chicago and streaming services.
Distracitfy spoke exclusively with Deon, who opened up about giving back to his hometown, and shared some advice for passing the time in quarantine.
Deon did not hesitate when asked to host the Sweet Home Chicago telethon.
So far, there have been over 90,000 cases coronavirus in Chicago and nearly 5,000 deaths — something that definitely motivated Deon to volunteer.
"Having a conversation with [producer and Chicago native] Bob Teitel made me want to do more than what I’ve done before, plus my city has been hit hard and I wanted to help," he told Distractify, before adding that he was really excited to, "help organizations to help others and see all the great performances."
Along with Deon, viewers can expect appearances by athletes from Chicago teams such as the Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, Bears, and White Sox, and performances from rapper Common and the classic rock band Chicago.
Deon also has some advice for making the most of time in quarantine.
Most of the county is under stay-at-home orders for the time being, but Deon suggests spending the time doing something you love to stay safe and sane.
"One day at a time. doing my part, staying home, staying busy writing, picking up hobbies like DJing," Deon said of his time in quarantine. "And I advise everyone to use this time to learn or do something you always wanted to do."
And just like everyone else, he has big plans for when things get back to normal.
"I have a lot going on, different projects to pitch, movies we’ve written, shows to be in, and shows to produce," he added. Plus, he says to expect "more silliness and unpredictable situations" on future episodes of Black-ish.
We can't wait.
How can you watch the Sweet Home Chicago Telethon?
The Sweet Home Chicago telethon is presented by The Chicago CEO COVID-19 Coalition, which is uniting Chicago business leaders in a humanitarian campaign for COVID-19 relief and recovery benefiting Chicago charities in four critical areas: food, shelter/homelessness, counseling services, and PPE.
Chicago charities to receive the donations raised are: the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund; Greater Chicago Food Depository; the Salvation Army Metropolitan Division; The Night Ministry; Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Chicago; Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago; Jewish United Fund; Metropolitan Family Services; the 100 Club of Chicago; and Howard Brown Health.
You can watch the telethon, which will air Saturday, May 16, at 5 p.m. CDT on NBC Sports Chicago and simultaneously stream on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
For more information or to donate, log on to https://www.chiccc.org or donate through the Coalition partnership with GoFundMe https://charity.gofundme.com/sweethomechicago.
The best way to prevent contracting or spreading the coronavirus is with thorough hand washing and social distancing. If you feel you may be experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus, which include persistent cough (usually dry), fever, shortness of breath, and fatigue, please call your doctor before going to get tested. For comprehensive resources and updates, visit the CDC website. If you are experiencing anxiety about the virus, seek out mental health support from your provider or visit NAMI.org.
