The Oklahoman: John Legend to host Father's Day TV special tonight, with OKC announced as recipient of COVID-19 assistance program

by BRANDY MCDONNELL

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Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner John Legend will host a celebration of dads with "John Legend and Family: A Bigger Love Father’s Day," airing at 7 tonight on ABC.

The one-hour variety special will mix live musical performances with comedy and what’s touted as “plenty of surprises.” Legend will perform material from his new album, "Bigger Love," released Friday, according to Deadline.

Legend will be joined on the show by his wife, Chrissy Teigen, and their two children, Luna and Miles.

 
 

Other guests on the show will be Anthony Anderson, Ike Barinholtz, Common, Michael Ealy, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jim Gaffigan, Tony Gonzalez, Lil Rel Howery, Taran Killam, Ne-Yo, Shaquille O’Neal, Patton Oswalt, Scottie Pippen, Ahmad Rashad, Andy Roddick, Deion Sanders, Marlon Wayans, Stevie Wonder and Roy Wood Jr.

“Some of us may wonder if it’s okay to laugh right now,” said Legend in a statement. “But music and humor have always lifted our spirits during tough times. This special celebrates love and the connection to the ones you care about most. I hope it brings joy and laughter into everyone’s homes this Father’s Day.”

 
 

As part of tonight's TV special will be the announcement that the nonprofit Accelerator for America will provide technical assistance and $50,000 in funding to help Oklahoma City and other U.S. cities stand up the infrastructure needed to successfully administer a large-scale financial assistance program for residents whose livelihoods have been hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a news release.  

Accelerator for America, with resources and expertise from Mastercard, will work alongside city officials until the program is fully operational, providing the necessary expertise and technical support to ensure success. 

Building on the successful Angeleno Card financial relief program for Los Angeles residents, the nonprofit Accelerator for America has announced  it will help 10 additional U.S. communities establish similar programs, including Oklahoma City. This initiative is supported by a $750,000 grant from the Open Society Foundations.

In addition to Oklahoma City, the 10 communities that will receive assistance include Salt Lake City, Utah; the state of Connecticut; the state of Rhode Island; Austin, Texas; Dayton, Ohio; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; and Louisville, Kentucky. 

To donate funds to help residents of these cities, visit Acceleratorforamerica.org, powered by the Mastercard Donation Platform, or Text Legend to 27126.

Open Society's funding is part of its $130 million global initiative to combat the effects of COVID-19 in vulnerable communities around the world.

“We are helping America’s cities fill critical gaps left by the federal response to the economic devastation caused by the pandemic,” said Garcetti in a statement. “Immigrants and domestic workers are essential to our economy and our communities, and we will not get through this pandemic by leaving people behind. I thank the Open Society Foundations for its support of Accelerator for America’s work to help cities directly assist their residents in need.”

Read the full article here.