Colin Jost helped light up the skies of New York last night for a good cause.
The SNL “Weekend Update” co-anchor made the short trip from 30 Rock to 34th Street to light the Empire State Building blue and red in honor of “Answer the Call Day.”
Jost has enjoyed a long association with The New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, also known as Answer the Call. The organization provides financial assistance and support for families of NYC police officers and firefighters, Port Authority Police, and EMS Personnel who have died in the line of duty. The annual lighting serves as a symbol of these fallen first responders’ sacrifices and honors both them and their families.
Before flipping the ceremonial switch at a press event held at the New York City landmark, Jost shared his personal connection to the organization.
“My grandfather was a firefighter on Staten Island,” Jost explained. “My great-grandfather was a firefighter on Staten Island. My uncle has been a dispatcher for the fire department for his whole life, and my mother has worked at the fire department for over 40 years—she was the chief medical officer for about 35 of those years, and it was her job to tell the families when someone died in the line of duty. It was obviously the hardest part of her job.”
“When someone dies in the line of duty, the absolute last thing you ever want to think about is money,” he continued. “But it is often something that is most needed by those families, and the fact that this great organization helps them and helps relieve some of the financial buren, I think [that] is such a wonderful approach.”
Introducing Jost, Lauren Profeta, Executive Director of Answer the Call thanked him for his long assocation with the nonprofit. “Colin has been a true friend to Answer the Call and to the families of our fallen heroes for well over a decade,” Profeta said. “I cannot tell you how grateful we are for his support and his family’s support, nor could I think of anyone better to light the Empire State Building on our behalf.”
Answer the Call was founded in 1985. Per the organization’s website, as of 2023, it has distributed over $170 million and helped more than 1,000 families, distributing over $5.2 million in annual stipends last year alone.
