WATCH: ‘Call to Unite’ draws former presidents, artists, community leaders

Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will be some of the leaders and luminaries appearing in a 24-hour “streamathon” aimed at encouraging acts of service during this time of global pandemic and hardship.

Oprah, Yo-Yo Ma, Questlove, Julia Roberts, T.D. Jakes and the Alvin Ailey Dance Company are also expected to appear, among many others.

The celebration begins at 8 p.m. ET on Friday. Watch live in our player above.

The event, called “The Call to Unite,” was organized by a nonprofit run by Timothy Shriver, who has been the long-term chairman of the Special Olympics.

“Something is happening in the world. We can all sense it, feel it, see it. It’s terrifying. It’s disrupting. It’s calling on us to change,” Shriver wrote in an open letter, adding, “We need to unite.”

Viewers are encouraged to find one way to help someone else over the course of the day, including making a donation, volunteering or “sharing a story of hope and compassion,” according to the website.