After the devastation caused by last week’s Hurricane Sandy, the cast members of MTV’s Jersey Shore have decided to pitch in and help rebuild what Vinny Guadagnino has called, “his second home,” Seaside Heights, N.J., where the television series has been shot on location.
Next Thursday, Nov. 15, at 11 p.m. ET, MTV will be airing an hour-long benefit to collect donations for the newly created “Restore the Shore” fund. The fund aims to directly rebuild the shores boardwalk, where many stores and rides, including the famous Ferris wheel seen in almost every episode of the shore, are currently under water. Other donations will be used to help support businesses and residents of the area who have lost almost everything due to the storm.
MTV is teaming up with Architecture for Humanity, a nonprofit design services firm founded in 1999, according to their website, architectureforhumanity.org. The firm designs and constructs homes and buildings after disasters such as last week’s hurricane. They were prevalent after both Hurricanes Rita and Katrina in communities such as Biloxi, Mississippi, and New Orleans.
In addition to the Restore the Shore project, Guadagnino is currently starring in a PSA for the Red Cross, in which he encourages viewers to text REDCROSS to the number 90999 to donate amounts upward of $10 to the Red Cross. This allows money to be given directly to those who need it right now for items such as water, shelter, health services and meals. According to redcross.org, since Sandy the Red Cross has distributed over 91,600 relief items to those affected, including hygiene and clean-up kits. The Red Cross also helps feed emergency workers, handles inquiries from concerned family members outside the disaster area, and provides blood and blood products to victims.
Cast members have been speaking out and tweeting about their devastation over the destruction of their beloved town. Jenny “JWoww” Farley tweeted a photo with the description, “This is the street #JerseyShore @rivolis and @Sniptease is on. Now boats are on it.” Guadagnino stated, “I’ve never had anything like this happen to me. I know every business owner on the boardwalk personally, you know, and, like, they’re good people, they all are hard-working people.” Condolences such as these bring viewers the strange realization that what we will witness from these cast members next Thursday night won’t be drunken drama, but heartfelt hope for the people who reside and work at the Jersey Shore.
MTV is currently airing the sixth and final season of the Jersey Shore series Thursday nights at 10 p.m.
By Taylor Zimmerman