Comic Relief USA, also called Comic Relief, Inc. (not the same as the successor charity with the same name), was a non-profit charity organization that operated from 1986 until 2011. Its mission was to raise funds to help those in needâÂÂparticularly America's homeless. It raised and distributed nearly US$50 million toward providing assistanceâÂÂincluding health care servicesâÂÂto homeless people throughout the United States. Although Comic Relief's charity work was continuous, its fundraising events were held and televised at irregular intervalsâÂÂand primarily by Home Box Office (HBO), with comedians Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, and Whoopi Goldberg as the hosts each time. TheyâÂÂalong with many other comedians, celebrities, and occasional politiciansâÂÂperformed various segmentsâÂÂboth general-purpose and specific to homelessnessâÂÂof standup comedy, sketch comedy, speeches, live music, and impressions of persons and characters. The organization also produced documentary segments dealing with real-life problems of homeless people, in order to raise awareness of not only the realities but also how many hard-working "ordinary" people can wind up or grow up homeless. In exchange for contributions exceeding certain amounts, T-shirts, sweatshirts and other merchandise were typically for sale. Its slogans were "Where there's laughter, there's hope" and "Comic ReliefâÂÂit's no joke".
Based on the Comic Relief charity in the United Kingdom and dedicated to the memory of comedian Andy Kaufman, the American organization was created in 1986 by comedy writer, producer, and actor Bob Zmuda. He worked with HBO executive Chris Albrecht to found the U.S. version in 1986.
Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, and Whoopi Goldberg were chosen to co-host Comic Relief's four-plus-hour maiden fundraiser. Other comics involved included Michael Keaton, Richard Dreyfuss, and Penny Marshall, as well as Bob Goldthwait, Howie Mandel, Minnie Pearl, and George Carlin. The first show netted US$2.5 million. According to the organization's website, more than $50 million has been raised since.
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Generally, HBO and other sponsors picked up all (or most) of the costs of Comic Relief events, so that every (or nearly every) penny raised or contributed went to the cause. Also, the hosts and other performers of Comic Relief events often got involved personally in projects run or supported by the charity.
Comic Relief distributed most of its funds raised to Health Care for the Homeless, which had project sites in 85 cities. This network of providers "was originally selected for start-up funding by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Pew Memorial Trust" after a year of review and assessment in 1985, was "co-sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Mayors", and works annually in all 50 states with thousands of homeless children.
HCH projects are created and run by their 104 organizational members in local communities. Since 1 July 2008, 202 HCH guarantees of the federal government's Health Resources and Services Administration have been providing social services to "more than 740,000 clients" every year, combining HRSA funding with other revenue to provide a wide array of services. Comic Relief board member Dr. Pedro Jose "Joe" Greer, Jr. was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 by President Barack Obama, on account of his "lifelong efforts to improve medical services for the homeless and uninsured."
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina (2006), Comic Relief made a point of rescuing pets and animalsâÂÂand returning them to their owners when possible.
A new internationally held and aired event, Comic Relief Wild: The Concert for Animals, addressed endangered species and habitat destruction around the world in 2007.