Coming together to benefit those affected by Hurricane Sandy

NEW YORK (NBC) - Kevin Bacon, Mary J. Blige, Tina Fey (NBC’s “30 Rock”), James Gandolfini, Al Roker (NBC’s “Today”) and Jon Stewart are the newest stars to join NBCUniversal’s broadcast of “Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together.” The one-hour live benefit telethon will air Friday, November 2, (8-9 pm ET) across the networks of NBCUniversal, including NBC, Bravo, CNBC, E!, G4, MSNBC, Style, Syfy and USA. The NBC Sports Network and The Weather Channel also have now signed on to air the event.

Bacon, Blige, Fey, Gandolfini, Roker and Stewart join the current lineup of previously announced performers, including Christina Aguilera (NBC’s “The Voice”), Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and Sting, with appearances by Jimmy Fallon (NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”) and NBC News’ Brian Williams.

Hosted by NBC “Today” anchor Matt Lauer, the telethon will be broadcast from the New York studios of NBC at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. It will air live across the East Coast and tape-delayed on the West. Additional networks are expected to join the broadcast of the telethon prior to airtime.

Money collected will be donated to the American Red Cross relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy.

The telethon also will be live-streamed on NBC.com .

The American Red Cross response to Sandy is very large and will be very costly, affecting a massive area spanning much of the eastern half of the country. Financial donations help the American Red Cross provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to those affected by disasters like Hurricane Sandy. To donate, people can visit www.redcross.org , call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org .