Watch Billy Connolly’s Heartfelt Address for U.K.’s Comic Relief Charity Event

The U.K.’s famed Comic Relief charity drive took place last week, and organizers brought in a heavy-hitter in order to appeal on the behalf of those in need: Scottish comedian Billy Connolly. Connolly, on top of being a beloved figure in the U.K. for raising the profile of comedy there, is also a legend among the ranks of Comic Relief participants, having stripped naked and streaked around London’s famed Piccadilly Circus during the charity’s 2001 event. This time around, Connolly delivered a heartfelt but much more serious address to viewers.

Looking like an older Garth Algar, Connolly jokingly begins his appeal: “Hello, Billy Connolly here asking for your cash. Not for me obviously, I’ve got cancer and Parkinson’s and I definitely need a haircut, but no…” He proceeds to highlight the stories of people around the U.K. who are struggling, from recent widows to married couples dealing with Alzheimer’s disease.

The video is a selfless, heart wrenching please from a guy who’s got more than enough problems of his own, yet takes the time to advocate on behalf of others. Having been a part of Comic Relief and Red Nose Day for many years now, Connolly knows the positive impact that the charity can have, and so he implores people to donate what little they can to make a marked difference in the world.

“And you, you amazing people out there, young, old and somewhere in between,” he continues. “Your cash helped people like this, grand people who life has dealt a really tough hand, and I’d ask you tonight to do it again, or for the first time.”

It appears that folks took the pleas of volunteers like Connolly and others seriously, as Comic Relief event raised a whopping £71,308,475, or $88,932,364. Comic Relief and Red Nose Day are both a great example of the power of community and the innate goodness of people. The events were brought to the U.S. in 2015, and have generated over $60 million in that time. This year’s U.S. event is scheduled to go down on Thursday, May 25th

[H/T] Mirror