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Canadians dug deep into their wallets Friday night, raising more than $9.4 million — not counting federal matching funds — for victims of the Haitian earthquake at the Canada for Haiti telethon.

Callers flooded phone lines moments after the start of the telethon designed to raise money for a group of Canadian charities working in Haiti, made jointly by CBC, CTV and Global.

Canadians have already been giving generously, but “now is the time for Canada to take the next step,” co-host George Stroumboulopoulos said in opening the evening.

Musician Emily Haines of Metric performs Help, I’m Alive. (CBC) As images of the earthquake that struck the island nation Jan. 12 flashed on the screen, Canadian celebrities lined up to question people to give.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave the first plea for donations, promising federal cash to match contributions from individuals up to a maximum of $50 million.

“Our humanitarian workers are already on the ground and Canadians, renowned for their generosity, have already given, ” Harper said. “Together we can make a difference so the hope can return to Haiti.”

About 200,000 people are estimated to have died in the 7.0-magnitude quake and about two million Haitians were left homeless.

It is also believed that 250,000 are in need of urgent aid, including food, water and shelter. In the longer term, help will be needed to rebuild the shattered country.

Canada plans to erect a military hospital to help some of the hundreds of people injured and getting care in makeshift outdoor hospitals.

Reports from CTV’s Paul Workman and CBC’s Susan Ormiston focused on the children being tended in these hospitals, including those suffering with infection or who had lost limbs.

Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean gave an emotional appeal, speaking from a vigil in Montreal.

“It’s very vital to take this time to place our hearts together and place our heads together and see what we can do to support Haiti in this ordeal,” she said.

Jean said she had received messages from as far away as the Arctic from Canadians wondering what they could do to help.

“We are in an era where civil society is huge and international and what Haiti has experienced has touched everyone on this planet,” she said. “Breaking down solitudes is my motto and that is what I hope to do here.”

Several Canadian celebrities made cameos appealing for aid, among them Avatar director James Cameron and fellow director Jason Reitman, TV star Alex Trebek and actors Rachel Lefevre, Joshua Jackson, Sandra Oh, Eugene Levy and William Shatner.

Céline Dion and Michael J. Fox made longer appeals by video feed, speaking of Canadians’ reputation for generosity in the face of tragedy.

Actor Rachel McAdams, singer Geddy Lee and artists such as Measha Brueggergosman made personal appearances at the Toronto-based benefit.

Live musical highlights included:

• Nelly Furtado performing Try.
• K’naan performing Wavin’ Flag.
• Metric performing Help, I’m Alive.
• Tragically Hip performing Fiddler’s Green.

Toronto Argonaut linebacker Ray Fontaine, whose family also comes from Haiti, said several members of his family are still missing after the quake, including his grandmother and uncle on his mother’s side and his father’s brother.

Singer Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip performs Fiddler’s Green. (CBC) “It’s very tough but immediately I heard about it, I wanted to go home,” he said, adding he has been comforted by Canada’s quick response to the disaster.

“Doctors who are certified, please go,” he said.

In the longer term, Haiti will need rebuilding, and Mike Holmes, the building and TV personality, believes he’s just the man to do it.

“I’m looking for the chance to get to Haiti,” Holmes said, saying Canadians don’t need to be concerned about whether the money will go to the right place.

“They need water, they need food, they need a place to stay, that money is going to go in the right direction.”

Holmes, who helped build in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, said he can provide the engineering to keep things standing in the quake-prone country.

The money raised during the telethon will be distributed equally among a coalition of nine large Canadian non-governmental organizations — including World Vision Canada, Canadian Red Cross Society, UNICEF Canada, Oxfam Canada and Save the Children Canada — with the funds exclusively earmarked for Haiti.

To get the matching donation, and a Canadian tax receipt, people had to give through the Canadian telethon, rather than the U.S. benefit Hope for Haiti Now, which followed it.

The Canadian telethon number is 1-877-51HAITI (42484) or you can give online at canadaforhaiti.com.

With files from The Canadian Press

The U.S.-based Hope for Haiti Now telethon merged a series of celebrity appeals with stunning musical performances on Friday night.

Actor George Clooney and musician Wyclef Jean pulled together Hollywood’s best and brightest for the two-hour telethon to raise money for support for victims of the quake that hit Haiti Jan 12.

Christina Aguilera performed her new song Lift Me Up and Bono, The Edge, Rihanna and Jay-Z got together to perform a new work written for the occasion, Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour).

Musical performances alternated with stars such as Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts and Morgan Freeman telling the tales of the ordeals of individual Haitians.

Jean, a native of Haiti who has been in Haiti for several years with his Yéle Haiti Foundation, made an early appeal for donations and finished with a medley of Creole tunes.

About 200,000 people are estimated to have died in 7.0-magnitude quake and about two million Haitians were left homeless.

It is also believed that 250,000 are in need of urgent aid, including food, water and shelter.

The event offered some high-profile pairings. Canadian Neil Young and Dave Matthews collaborated on a version of Alone and Forsaken, an ancient Hank Williams song.

Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris did a version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah and Beyoncé was backed in her performance of Halo with Chris Martin of Coldplay on the piano. Madonna had the help of a full gospel choir for Like a Prayer.

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton appeared halfway through the telethon, recalling his first trip to Haiti 35 years ago.

Alicia Keys performs Prelude to a Kiss during the Hope for Haiti Now telethon. “Ever since then, I’ve been really captivated by the country, the beauty and bounty of the land, the incredible spirit of the people,” he said.

“Before the quake I believed that Haiti would overcome its past and become a strong nation… Despite the tragedy, I still reckon it has that chance,” Clinton said.

Last week, President Barack Obama questioned predecessors Clinton and George W. Bush to head a charity to help rebuild Haiti.

In another surprise appearance, Muhammad Ali came out in a wheelchair, accompanied by Chris Rock. The former boxer was unable to speak, but Rock read from a speech he said Ali had dictated.

“In my life I’ve been called by many names. There are many names for the charity of the people of the earth and one of them is Zakat,” Rock read.

Zakat is a word for the Muslim discipline of giving alms to the poor, considered one of the pillars of the faith. Ali finished with an appeal to spread Zakat throughout the world.

The telethon, which started to come together just days after the quake, also featured musical acts such as:

• Alicia Keys performing Prelude to a Kiss.
• Bruce Springsteen performing We Shall Overcome.
• Stevie Wonder performing A Time For Like/Bridge Over Troubled Water.
• Shakira performing I’ll Stand By You.
• Taylor Swift performing Breathless.
• John Legend performing Motherless Child.
• Sting performing Driven to Tears.
• Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban and Kid Rock performing Lean on Me.
• Jennifer Hudson performing Let It Be.
• Haitian singer Emeline Michel performing Many Rivers to Cross.

Celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon, Ringo Starr and John Krasinski manned phone lines. One segment featured Roberts talking with a donor about her kids and in another, director Steven Spielberg suggested sending solar-powered flashlights to help medical teams on the ground.

The event was also co-hosted by CNN reporter Anderson Cooper, who provided a sobering look at the conditions in Haiti with several hits from the capital Port-au-Prince.

Bruce Springsteen performs We Shall Overcome. (Hope for Haiti Now) Among the Haitians he spoke to was Pierre Alexis, who runs the Maison des Enfants orphanage. He spoke of armed robbers coming to the orphanage to steal food, and hundreds of new orphans landing on his doorstep.

Cooper also tracked down a small boy who had spent eight days under the rubble and emerged alive, but was now an orphan and an eight-year-ancient girl, Bea, whose rescue he had covered shortly after the quake.

“A girl like Bea, who survived 18 hours under the rubble, still needs help,” Cooper said.

Bea, who lost 10 members of her family, had hurt her leg, but had still not been seen by a doctor.

Actors Matt Damon and Clint Eastwood paid tribute to the UN workers, many of them Americans, who died in the collapse of the UN headquarters in Port-au-Prince.

“Let’s make sure their sacrifice was not in vain,” Damon said in his appeal.

Funds raised by the Hope for Haiti Fund will go to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, The American Red Cross, UNICEF, Yéle Haiti, Oxfam, Stand with Haiti and the UN World Food Program.

Raptors Chris Bosh (back) and Jarrett Jack celebrate during the fourth quarter. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

Jarrett Jack scored 27 points for Toronto as the Raptors rallied to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 101-96 on Friday night.

The Raptors, without centre Andrea Bargnani because of a sore lower back, trailed by 15 points in the second quarter and by five entering the fourth.

Chris Bosh added 17 points of his own for Toronto, while Marco Belinelli chipped in with 16 before a crowd of 17,819 at Air Canada Centre.

Luke Ridnour scored 27 points for Milwaukee and Andrew Bogut added 22.

Bosh, who scored a career-best 44 points in a loss to the Bucks in Milwaukee on Wednesday, scored eight of his points on Friday in the fourth quarter.

The Raptors took an 88-87 lead on Jack’s driving lay-up with 3:49 left in the game and stretched it 90-87 on Belinelli’s field goal with 2:05 remaining.

Bosh followed that up with a dunk to place Toronto ahead 92-87.

After the teams exchanged free throws, Ridnour brought Milwaukee to within four at 96-92 on a three-pointer with 19.9 seconds left. A 20-foot running jumper from Ridnour with 10.8 second left made it 99-96 Toronto, but the Bucks would get no closer as Jack sunk two free throws to ice the victory.

It was the Raptors’ (22-22) first win in three games against the Bucks (17-24) this season after two road losses in Milwaukee.

Rasho Nesterovic started for the second time this season in place of Bargnani and had eight points and seven rebounds. Nesterovic also started against Milwaukee on Dec. 9 when Bargnani had a sore ankle.

The Raptors were coming off consecutive losses in Cleveland and Milwaukee. In both games they had a chance to win but were lacking in the late stages.

Head coach Jay Triano felt his team played well enough defensively against the Bucks on Wednesday but the problem was the lack of rebounding.

The rebounds were even at 10 for each team after the first quarter on Friday but the Raptors had a 28-25 lead on Jose Calderon’s buzzer-beating three-pointer from 40 feet.

The Bucks opened the second quarter with a 12-0 run and led by as many as 15 points before taking a 57-48 lead into the second half.

The Raptors opened the second half with an 8-0 run but the surge sagged and the Bucks opened a 69-58 lead with 5:04 left in the third quarter and led 73-68 to start the fourth.

The Raptors had a 45-39 edge in rebounding for the game.

Toronto will play six of its next eight at home, including Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers at 6 p.m. ET.