WITN is joining Inner Banks Media and the American Red Cross’ disaster-services division to host a fundraiser to help Hurricane Irene victims in eastern North Carolina.

WITN, WTIB 103.7, WNBU 94.1, Star 94.3 and Thunder Country 96.3 will kick off the fundraising event at WITN’s Greenville studio on Arlington Boulevard beginning this morning. Phone lines will be manned from 8 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. with contributions taken over the phone at 1-855-619-3785 (toll-free) and 252-222-4387 (local). Donations may also be submitted online with a link available on www.witn.com.

In addition, donations will be accepted at WITN’s main studio building on U.S. Highway 17 south of Washington. New Bern-area donations should be taken at the Inner Banks Media studios at 1308 South Glenburnie Road. A final collection point will be at WITN’s Jacksonville newsroom located across from Coastal Carolina Community College at 411 Western Boulevard.

“Irene has caused devastation across eastern North Carolina and families are in need,” Chris Mossman, vice president and general manager of WITN, said. “We hope that the combined reach of WITN and the Inner Banks Media group of stations will help bring the level of donations needed to allow the Red Cross to get out and provide the assistance needed in eastern North Carolina.”

The telethon kicks off with WITN 7 News at Sunrise this morning and runs throughout the day until 6:30 p.m. WTIB’s Talk of the Town with Henry Hinton will also be broadcasting live from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Volunteers will be at each of the four sites accepting donations. They will accept cash, checks and credit-card donations along with requested supplies.

A phone bank will be set up at the Arlington Boulevard studio, and television viewers and radio listeners will be able to call in to the telephone bank to make donations. The phone lines will be manned by volunteers from the Children’s Miracle Network.

PODS has donated storage units at each collection site to accept donations of water and tarps as requested by the Red Cross. Texas Roadhouse on Greenville Boulevard is contributing to the effort by donating 10 percent of the restaurant’s proceeds taken in today.