Venezuela telethon benefits homeless

Monday, May 19, 2003 Posted: 9:24 AM EDT (1324 GMT)

CARACAS, Venezuela (CNN-AP) -- Venezuelans raised over US$4 million for homeless children in a charity concert and a two-day telethon.

Venezuelan singers, comedians and actors performed in front of a crowd of tens of thousands until late Sunday night. Top names included salsa and merengue star Chichi Peralta, and ballad singers Franco de Vita and Carlos Ponce.

The fund-raising event, which was sponsored and broadcast live by public and private television stations, received pledges of 6.8 billion bolivars, or US$4.2 million.

Hundreds of children end up on the streets of Caracas and other major cities after running away or being abandoned. Venezuela's deficient and cash-strapped social service system has failed to solve the problem despite repeated efforts.