Their mission will be a serious one - to do all they can to bring aid and relief to the millions of victims whose lives have been shattered in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. BET is bringing together stars of music and entertainment in alliance with the National Urban League, American Red Cross, Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, Essence Communications and major recording labels for a primetime telethon on Friday, September 9, starting with a special benefit episode of 106 & PARK: BET'S TOP 10 LIVE at 6 p.m. ET*, followed by the commercial-free telethon from 7:30 - 10 p.m. ET* (*telethon is tape-delayed to the West Coast; toll-free pledge phone lines will be open). The telethon will also be streamed simultaneously on-line at www.BET.com, with video clips and highlights available on the website after the event.

The telethon boasts a roster of superstar artists, many with ties to the affected areas, including Wynton Marsalis, Master P, David Banner and Juvenile along with Jamie Foxx, Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons, Morgan Freeman, Alicia Keys, Diddy, Jay Z, Kanye West, Ludacris, Mary J. Blige, Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman Antonio "L.A." Reid, Common, Usher, Nick Cannon, Omarion, Pharrell Williams, Ciara, Keyshia Cole, Avant, Lyfe, Twista, Stevie Wonder, Brandy, Wyclef, Erykah Badu, Al and Star Jones Reynolds, Chris Rock, Sheryl Underwood, Chris Tucker, Patti LaBelle, Floetry, Cedric "The Entertainer", Nelly, Rhianna, Big Boi, D. L. Hughley, Marques Houston, Choppa, Twista, Paul Wall, Kirk Franklin, John Legend, Ice Cube, The Game, Bow Wow, Musiq, Monica, Aaron Neville, Samuel L. Jackson, Chaka Khan, Chuck D, Shakim, Swizz Beats, Kem, Smokey Robinson and more. All celebrity participants will give of their time and resources in an inspiring effort to address the tremendous devastation in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and elsewhere.

There will also be special messages from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois). Representatives from the Congressional Black Caucus, National Black Caucus of State Legislators and the National Conference of Black Mayors will also participate in the telethon.

BET is supplementing the direct fund-raising effort with an on-line charity auction of celebrity-autographed and special one-of-a-kind items and memorabilia. Among the items featured are special edition sports jerseys, rare jewelry, tour jackets, hats, signature clothing pieces and other items. The auction will be promoted throughout the telecast as well on the BET.com website, and lasts until Noon ET on Friday, September 16.

Viewers will also have the option of using mobile telephone and text messaging services as a means of making donations, with cellular carriers Cingular, Alltel, Nextel, Sprint and Verizon Wireless participating in the BET fund-raising effort starting with tomorrow night's telethon and lasting through September 30. Users can donate a minimum of $5.00 to a maximum of $25.00 by sending the text message BET to 24357 (2HELP) and following the on-screen instructions to execute the donation.

In addition to the BET telecast, the telethon will also be radio simulcast on XM Satellite Radio Channel 67 - The City, Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 50 - Hot Jamz and Inner City Broadcasting stations WBLS (107.5-FM) in New York and WWDM (101.3-FM) in Columbia, South Carolina. Radio One will promote the BET Telethon on the nationally-syndicated program The Russ Parr Morning Show and throughout the broadcast day on its radio stations in 19 urban markets across the country. Other radio stations around the country are joining the BET simulcast effort, and there will be further updates on those stations tomorrow.

Making optimum use of its television platform isn't the only way BET is joining in the massive effort to provide hurricane relief. Hundreds of BET employees have also collected more than 1,000 pounds of non-perishable items and dry goods which have already been shipped to Gulf coast locations housing evacuees from the storm-ravaged areas.