(GREENVILLE) -- The citizens of North Carolina are being asked to step up and help those who have lost everything and are enduring unimaginable hardships in Eastern North Carolina. WITN-TV is conducting a day-long telethon on Wednesday for Hurricane Irene relief.  Everyone across the state is encouraged to call toll free 1-855-619-3785 to make a contribution.

Telethon organizers said The Red Cross will send 100-percent of the money raised on Wednesday to relief efforts in Eastern North Carolina. Money is needed to keep shelters open and assist thousands of families.

Governor Bev Perdue said on Tuesday that initial damage estimates from Irene are more than $71 million. Perdue also said more than 1,100 homes were destroyed. The death toll from Irene has risen to seven.

The organizers of the telethon admit that those in the central and western parts of North Carolina may be wondering why so much is still being made of hurricane damage in North Carolina when much of the national media has turned its attention to damage and recovery in the northeast or are downplaying the total impact of Irene all together. The devastation in Eastern North Carolina may be out of sight and out of mind for many, but the truth is that North Carolinians have suffered significant loss and are enduring massive hardships, according to one business leader.