Christmas Telethon Raises $500,000

A telethon for Navidad en el Barrio, a Christmas charity started in East Los Angeles, raised $500,000 that will be used to buy groceries to fill 13,000 baskets for the needy, said executive director John Flores.

The baskets were to have been distributed Saturday throughout Southern California. Navidad distributes the baskets to 27 agencies in six counties, including Los Angeles.

Although the organization came up short of its $700,000 goal, the money raised Dec. 6 during the 20th annual telethon on KMEX-TV Channel 34 will still help feed thousands of families that might not have received help during the holidays, Flores said. “It’s less than we raised last year ($600,000), but overall we’re happy because it’s more than we expected.”