Gov. Christie on Letterman; Two Celebs Join Sandy Relief Board

As a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman Monday night, Gov. Chris Christie's witty banter and doughnut-eating may have made headlines, but he was quick to remind everyone that Hurricane Sandy relief is still needed.

Christie and Letterman talked about the Hurricane Sandy NJ Relief Fund started by First Lady Mary Pat Christie. She announced Tuesday that two major celebrities have joined the honorary advisory board.

Bono, frontman of U2, and NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams will join Bruce Springsteen, U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, Jon Bon Jovi and others on the board.

Bono called it “an honor” to support the relief efforts.

“Sandy took away just about every piece of my Jersey Shore childhood,” said Williams, who is from Monmouth County and has a home in Ocean City. "'Jersey Strong' isn’t just a phrase; it’s a way of life. It’s a redundancy actually. The rest of the country will see how strong we are, starting now.”

The non-profit relief fund was started Nov. 1, four days after Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey and surrounding areas. To date, more than $32 million has been raised for the fund.

“We are thrilled that Bono and Brian have lent their names to assist New Jersey families in rebuilding their lives and overcoming the most destructive storm in our state’s history,” Mary Pat Christie said.

Last month, more than $50 billion in federal aid was approved for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. On Letterman Monday night, Christie said although the delay in voting on the package didn’t make him very happy, the money should be coming this month to help with rebuilding.

More than 40,000 families are still homeless, Christie said.

“We will rebuild,” Brian Williams said in a statement. “We will see you on the boardwalk in time for the first waves of summer.”

Visit www.sandynjrelieffund.org to make a contribution.