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Jay Leno raises $100,000 for Gulf Coast recovery

Comedy show raises $90,000, host added his own money to reach $100,000

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Jay Leno, Rich Westfall
Rogelio V. Solis  /  AP
Entertainer Jay Leno jokes with Rich Westfall, right, president of Gulf Coast Community Foundation about the money raised by Leno's one-night, one-show only benefit concert at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Miss., Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, for Mississippi oil spill victims. Leno said after looking at the over $90,000 collected in ticket sales, that he would contribute $10,000 to raise the amount to $100,000.
updated 8/22/2010 3:43:56 PM ET 2010-08-22T19:43:56

BILOXI, Miss. — Jay Leno brought comedy and cash to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to help the area recover from the BP oil spill.

More than 1,000 people watched Leno perform Saturday night at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi to raise money for the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Tickets were $40 to $150.

Leno hosts "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on NBC.

(TODAYshow.com is part of msnbc.com, which is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC.)

At the end of the show, Leno presented an oversized check for $90,336 to foundation president Rich Westfall. Leno chipped in some of his own money, topping off the evening's fundraising total at about $100,000.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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