University of Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari and his players helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for victims of Superstorm Sandy during a two-hour telethon Wednesday on WKYT.

Calipari hosted, raising more than $160,000 for the American Red Cross by the time the televised program ended at 9 p.m. But donations were still accepted for another hour.

Shortly after 10 p.m., Winn Stephens, director of development for the Bluegrass Chapter of the American Red Cross, said that between the public's donations, the matched donations from a "founders" group organized by Calipari, and an online auction on WKYT.com, the amount raised was approximately $500,000.