Comedian's plea raises $59,000 to aid schools

All it took for a charity to raise money for South Carolina schools was a brief mention by Stephen Colbert.

When Colbert announced last month that he was running for president, the Charleston native and host of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" also asked viewers to give to DonorsChoose.org, which helps fulfill teacher wish lists for books, globes or other classroom materials in schools in the United States.

"So I encourage everyone, go on, make donations to teachers in South Carolina, let's make a difference," Colbert said.

The brief comment by the 43-year-old talk-show host — who has since dropped his bid for the White House — raised $59,000 in 10 days and reached 13,000 public school students in South Carolina, said Peter Bloom, the group's national chairman.