The records of the California office of Hands Across America include correspondence, memoranda, promotional materials, newspaper clippings, and ephemera. Held on May 25, 1986, Hands Across America was a benefit event staged to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness.
Hands Across America was a benefit event staged on May 25, 1986, in which millions of people held hands for fifteen minutes along a path across the continental United States. The event was intended to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness and was the brainchild of the group USA for Africa. The event netted about $15 million, $1.2 million of which was disbursed to charities in California in 1987. The Director of the California Hands Across America office was Roger Carrick. Edd Hernandez was the Field Director, while Kenneth Fitzgerald was in charge of promotions and Victoria Pipkin was the office's Press Secretary. Kevin Irion was the Volunteer and Customer Service Coordinator.