Annual Muscular Dystrophy Telethon Fundraiser Goes A New Way

LOS ANGELES -- No tote board. No Jerry Lewis. And not from Las Vegas.

An annual Muscular Dystrophy Association television fundraiser goes a new way Sunday, with a different title and featuring three hours of taped appearances by entertainers including country music star Carrie Underwood, pop singer Gavin DeGraw, alternative pop group OneRepublic, Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am and songstress Carole King.

The renamed "MDA Show of Strength" was pre-produced and taped in Los Angeles, New York and Nashville, Tenn., said association spokeswoman Roxan Olivas in Tucson, Ariz.

It is set to show on various TV and cable channels in 150 markets around the country from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central and Mountain time and 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time.

There won't be a traditional tote board, and Olivas said some cities will have local hosts. But the overall event will urge national phone, text and online pledges toward funding efforts to find treatments and cures for neuromuscular diseases.

The annual Labor Day weekend telethon ended a 45-year run last year with comedian and longtime host Lewis, who turned 86 in March and lives in Las Vegas.

Lewis was part of a comedy duo with Dean Martin and became a film icon with antics and characters including the "The Nutty Professor."

He went on to become synonymous with the Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon after starting it in 1966 with a marathon 22-hour show at a single TV station in New York.

Lewis was MDA national chairman from the early 1950s to 2011, and is credited with raising more than $1.6 billion over the years. He was nominated in 1977 for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the telethon and muscular dystrophy relief.

The event moved to Las Vegas in 1973, and had stints in Los Angeles before moving back to Las Vegas.

Despite Lewis' absence, telethon officials last year reported raising $61.5 million in a six-hour show with several hosts. A silent montage of Lewis film clips was shown, but he didn't take part in person or tape his signature song, "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Comments

[eyemjustsayin]

02:48 PM on 09/29/2012

it was a joke this year, why do it at all. . is there such a term as "canned telethon", pretend guests, and indifferent audiences. . . .fund raise like other charities do, and let this one rest in peace.

[The Watcher2]

02:36 AM on 09/22/2012

I stopped giving when my wife was diagnost with Multiple Sclorosis. I can't afford to heavily support two charities. But, ending the MDA annual telethon is a mistake.
It should have continued in it's original form. But, over the years - at least locally - the national entertainment protions became fewer and fewer with more and more local informational spots as well as to many corporate shots - how many times do you need to here 7 Eleven giving more money. The kids were always the purpose and the entertainers were the hook to get you to watch. And that got you to give.

[georganne]

03:15 PM on 09/09/2012

Don't fix what ain't broke. Taped is artificial while live is fresh. 21.5 hours down to 3 hours. Didn't see any advertisement this year. Big brass needs to clean up their mess before stars start to make themselves unavailable. Does anyone know the amount raised this year?

[gmartin474]

02:08 PM on 09/07/2012

I grew up watching and donating to Jerry Lewis's MDA Telethon, it was a Labor Day tradition. To see what they did to the show and Jerry's Kids is disrespectful, kind of like a slap in the face to all who were part of it for 46 years. Besides that, the ones who were disrespected the most are the people with MD, Jerry's Kids!!! Jerry was the National MDA Chairman and his "Kids" loved him. If there were problems between the two, something should have been worked out at any cost. If it was due to Jerry's health that's understandable but they should have honored the man for all the years of his life he dedicated to MDA and let him thank everyone one last time then pass the torch to the next MDA chairman. But NO, it was taped and shown as just another TV show with nothing promoting it like it was no big deal. Such a sad way to end a once Great Telethon. One last thing before I go, I want to say THANK YOU to Mr. Jerry Lewis for everything he has done trying to find a cure for this terrible disease.

[len bussiere]

04:45 PM on 09/04/2012

I watched a little of last years 6 hour telethon and it seemed rushed. this year after finding out it was going to be a 3 hour pre-taped i decided to go to Maine for this labor day instead. we may never now why mr lewis and the mda parted ways but i feel it was corprate greed. i for one will never watch another mda broadcast unless they bring back the regular telethon of 21and1/2 hours. I'll still drop a few dollars in the local fire dept boot if im in town but i'll never sent another dime to mda. as for jerry lewis i hope u r reading these and know you still have supportes out here.thank you mr lewis for 45 great years as our host.

[m2nov]

12:07 AM on 09/05/2012

last year, or 2 years ago my cable went out... I didn't get to watch the telethon much less a repeat of a soap opera....so I decided to go to a festival with my brother, and boyfriend in tow. then around 6pm [CDT] he [my brother] decided to take us home because he was "not felling well" as soon as he got home, on went the TV, and I had to peek through the window. ( of his house) and I saw him "sneaking" on the telethon he caught the 10 minutes of it! now what MDA has done, is breaking a labor day tradition poor jerry is finished! :_(

[robhllnd2]

12:34 PM on 09/04/2012

Gee, what a comedown. Not even live. Suicide.

[joe4u2lv]

07:57 AM on 09/04/2012

I would also like to Know why Jerry Lewis was Taken off of the MDA Show and National Chairman of MDA. Like they say in the News we may never know why.

[joe4u2lv]

07:52 AM on 09/04/2012

Well I don't think they made that much last year without Jerry. I think this year’s Telethon was a joke I did not like it at all. I very much sorry to say think MDA is going downhill from here. After the Telethon you always know what was made or by the next day you find out what they made. Not this year have not seen it yet and is the 4th

[Producer-Teacher]

04:28 AM on 09/04/2012

I coundnt even find the telethon on TV. What a shame. The many years of celebrities to donate their time and acts, to generate money was a win/win situation for everyone. People like to give, of themselves, talent, and time. Viewers, who for whatever reason can't contribute in that way, are happily earger to donate and give for thier favorite charity, celebrity, or for the moving feeling you have to give money to help people who have been up all day and night to entertain people and move people to give money, (which people feel they need to do). What a shame, that this year, I missed it, heard nothing about it, and know many poeple who didnt see it. Too bad for the "kids" and too bad we couldnt support Jerry and "friends" to fund this cause.
Goodbye MDA, we've moved on to another charity. Corporate Listen up...dont fix what's not broke!

[Hillwood100]

07:10 PM on 09/03/2012

What a shame. My mother suffered from MS (not covered by MDA). I looked forward to this telethon every year. For me it marked the beginning of autumn. They cut out Jerry Lewis. The show is not live anymore and it is now 3 hours instead of 21 hours. MDA States they are changing with the times...well so am I. The last 2 years I have donated $0.00, I may catch flak for my opinion....but I cannot change the way I feel about it. Obviously others feel the same way as in 2011 they failed by $18 million of reaching 2010's total (with Jerry). And this year is thought to be worse. So be it. They will NEVER receive another dime from me, until they bring back at least part of the MDA telethon. PERIOD!!

[ahanlonjr]

11:38 AM on 09/03/2012

Yes, I don't like this decision either. Here it is Labor Day 11:30am and no telethon, no Jerry, no Ed or Norm.Of course some are dead, I thought Jerry had groomed others to fill his shoes. People, the younger ones are too self absorbed to watch telethons and they don't donate in bulk either. I miss a lot of things and find network TV has changed too much for me. Dark , edgy dramas, too many commercials, constant selling on other shows like The View, now shilling for Jessica Simpson shoes as I write this. Shameless...as are the execs that dropped the telethon. I will be heading over to shop later, maybe I find the firemen with a boot for MDA.

[johngin1999]

09:45 AM on 09/03/2012

Jerry raised $2.5 BILLION for MDA since he started. His goal was to cure MDA in his lifetime.

While the association has made life more comfortable for the victims of MDA and their families, Jerry's goal of a cure goes unfulfilled.
Thank you Jerry for devoting a major part of your life for this cause.

I just can't help wondering why medical scientists were able to find "cures" or immunization for Polio, cholera, plague, and other catastrophic diseases as well as discovering penicillin, aspirin, etc with only crude microscopes. Yet today, with supercomputers, super resolution florescence microscopes and all the high tech stuff that big pharma has, they haven't come up with a "cure" for anything?
Even AIDS has no immunization or cure.
I wonder if big pharma finds it unprofitable to prevent or cure diseases as compared to life long management of diseases buying their drugs?
Hmmmmm
happy labor day.

[gmartin474]

02:24 PM on 09/07/2012

I think your right!!!

[KevinB1261]

09:39 AM on 09/03/2012

I remember staying up all night to see some of the great performances, the time when The Chairman of the Board brought Dean there to tell Jerry how proud he was of him. The heart tugging stories of peoiple who truly needed our help. There was in the begining this young actor who saw something he felt needed attention and wanted to help. It became a devotion to a cause that consumed his entire life. He still did performances but his kids, his family, were his priority. Now the the very association that he helped create, turns its back on him and basically kicks him in the teeth. Years of watching till the end and betting friends to donate or I would donate if Jerry made it or didnt make it through You'll Never Walk Alone. Illness, fatigue, nothing stopped Jerry but the very Association that he represented. SHAME ON YOU MDA! YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE ALOT OF HOST THAT ARE CARDBOARD CUTOUTS AND MAY GET YOU PEOPLE TO WATCH THE THREE HOURS (WOO OH BOY) THAT YOU HAD IT ON BUT THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER MR. JERRY LEWIS. YOUR DECISION DESTROYED A TIME HONORED TRADITION HOPE YOUR HAPPY! YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER HOST THE CALIBER OF HIM. AND I'LL NEVER DONATE ANOTHER PENNY TO YOUR CAUSE. I FEEL FOR THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THESE FUNDS. IT'S SAD THAT THEY HAVE TO SUFFER AT YOUR CORPORATE DECISION.

[patti45]

09:25 AM on 09/03/2012

Very sad not having the telethon. Another tradition lost due to someones lame idea.

[TexCube]

08:20 AM on 09/03/2012

Don't you just love how the music acts were aimed at young adults? Tell me, how much of the yearly donations do you think comes from young adults? I know some does, but I'd say the bulk comes from the middle aged on up. But watching MDA wasn't about class "A" acts or comedians. It was about class "D" acts that still had more class than most performers today. I knew I'd never see the likes of the Foo Fighters on there, but I liked their tongue in cheek approach. We often wax poetic about a different time when things were better, but I never buy into that. I always believe that today is 100 times better than yesterday. But when it comes to the MDA telethon, I want to take that step back in time and remember what it was like as a child in the 70's safely going door-to-door to collect for MDA. Then our father would drive us to the NBC affiliate in Houston to drop our money off. Here's what I really think. Jerry Lewis and his friends put on a 22 hour show for one reason. They wanted to make sure the viewing audience got something for donating their hard earned money. They didn't just want to go beg on a street corner expecting you to donate. They wanted to be that high school band organization that offered you a car wash for a donation. (see next comment)