FILE- In this Sept. 21, 2012 file photo, actor Billy Crystal arrives on the red carpet for a screening of his latest film, "Parental Guidance," at the AARP's national convention in New Orleans. Crystal, who already donated $1 million to help Long Beach, N.Y., rebuild after Superstorm Sandy, has donated his time to appear in a TV ad that trumpets “Long Beach is Open for Business.” Crystal is a 1965 graduate of Long Beach High School. (AP Photo/Cheryl Gerber, File)
July 11, 2013 - 2:18 PM
LONG BEACH, N.Y. - Billy Crystal is going to bat for his New York hometown following the pummeling it took from Superstorm Sandy.
The comedian and "When Harry Met Sally" actor has made a television commercial telling tourists to visit Long Beach, just east of New York City.
Long Beach was among many Northeast communities devastated by the October storm. Its 2-mile (3.2-kilometre)-long boardwalk was destroyed, and hundreds of homes were damaged.
Crystal appears in a TV ad trumpeting "Long Beach is Open for Business."
City officials say Crystal appeared in the ad for free and last month donated $1 million for rebuilding efforts.
The commercial is part of a $700,000 advertising campaign. The TV ads will run in the New York City region.
Crystal graduated from Long Beach High School in 1965.
News from © The Associated Press, 2013