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mda telethon
The MDA announced a total of $58,706,015 on September 30, 2012, the year when the annual Labor Day Telethon became MDA Show of Strength.
The newly-branded MDA Show of Strength, which aired on September 2, 2012, on 150 stations nationwide, featured the commitment, dedication and support of viewers from across the nation who joined forces with volunteers, celebrities and entertainers, and national and local sponsors to show their strength for one common goal – to win the fight against muscle diseases.
The MDA announced a total of $58,706,015 on September 30, 2012, the year when the annual Labor Day Telethon became MDA Show of Strength
“The incredible support of our national partners and their loyal customers, plus the generosity of the American public who called, texted or went online to donate, will help MDA provide care through our network of 200 clinics in the U.S., as well as help to send kids to MDA summer camps at no cost to their families,” said MDA Interim President and Medical Director Valerie Cwik, M.D.
“Their support will make a lifesaving difference in MDA’s worldwide research program, which this year will invest almost $36 million in vital projects.”
The signature Labor Day weekend show continued as the centerpiece of the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s yearlong fundraising efforts. In addition to superstar performers such as will.i.am, Carrie Underwood, Pitbull and Carole King, the three-hour telecast featured uplifting stories of strength offering a window into the lives of individuals and families affected by muscle diseases; inspiring messages from many corporate sponsors, organizations and national brands; and heartfelt appeals from MDA ambassadors and celebrities.
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Backstreet Boys will open the 48th annual MDA Show of Strength Telethon tonight at 9/8c, on ABC television stations across the country.
The multiplatinum group of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell will perform their newest single In A World Like This from their eighth studio album and nationwide tour of the same name.
In addition to their new song, the group will treat the viewing audience to a BSB classic when they launch into one of the most popular hits of their 20-year career, I Want It That Way.
Backstreet Boys will open the 48th annual MDA Show of Strength Telethon
“Performing at an event like the MDA telethon has a much deeper meaning to us now that we all have families or children of our own,” said Brian Littrell.
“When I met the families at the show, I made sure to tell them that their children are an inspiration to all of us, and I encouraged them to be strong, and to continue to hold their loved ones close and fight together. We hear that research for many of these diseases is moving at an incredible pace, so we all agree that we’ll continue to do our part to help MDA keep moving forward in its search for treatments and cures.”
In addition to the Backstreet Boys performance, the 2013 telethon will feature a star-studded celebrity lineup, including: Ryan Seacrest; Paula Abdul; country stars Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker and Lee Ann Womack; Enrique Iglesias; teenage pop sensation Austin Mahone; “Glee” star Matthew Morrison; hip-hop dance crew Jabbawockeez; American Idol runner-up Jessica Sanchez; Kenny Loggins with the Blue Sky Riders; American blues rock band Vintage Trouble; and Universal recording artist and star from The Voice Chris Mann.
Additional presenters for the 2013 show include: ABC’s Dr. Richard Besser; Dancing with the Stars contestant and Brady Bunch mom Florence Henderson; Emmy award-winning journalist Jann Carl; Olympic gold medal gymnasts Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner; and No Doubt drummer Adrian Young and his son Mason Young.
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The annual MDA Labor Day Telethon will air on ABC in prime-time, on Sunday, September 1.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association’s nationally broadcast telethon, one of America’s longest-standing and beloved fundraising and entertainment events, will return this Labor Day weekend with a new broadcast home: the ABC Television Network.
ABC has signed on to air the two-hour MDA Show of Strength Telethon on its stations across the country on Sunday, September 1, 9/8c. As in the past, the entertainment event will raise funds and awareness to support MDA’s mission to help children and adults affected by progressive and often fatal muscle diseases.
“This is a remarkably hopeful time for MDA and our mission to find new treatments and cures as we set our sights on pursuing muscle health,” said MDA President and CEO Steven M. Derks.
“We’re delighted to partner with ABC. Broadcasting our show nationwide and on prime-time TV provides a critically important way to tell our story of progress in fighting muscle disease, while recognizing and engaging new supporters.”
This is the first time in MDA’s 48-year history of doing annual telethons that it will broadcast on a single television network. Previously, MDA partnered with an ad-hoc lineup of network affiliates in markets across the U.S. In recent years the majority of the stations have been ABC affiliates, which makes the new exclusive agreement with ABC a natural fit.
MDA is in the process of securing artists for this year’s telethon and all performers generously donate their time and talent to help make the event a success. The MDA telethon also will feature compelling stories of survival and hope profiling children and adults affected by muscle disease.
The annual MDA Labor Day Telethon will air on ABC in prime-time, on Sunday, September 1
R.A. (RAC) Clark, longtime executive producer of the Academy of Country Music Awards, served as the MDA telethon’s executive producer in 2012 and will return this year. Clark has extensive producing credits on all major networks, including ABC.
In addition to funds contributed by the public, substantial support also comes from MDA’s family of national sponsors, whose work throughout the year on behalf of MDA will be recognized on the telethon. Among the sponsors: International Association of Fire Fighters, CITGO Petroleum Corp., Safeway, Lowe’s, Harley-Davidson, Jiffy Lube International, National Association of Letter Carriers, 7-Eleven, Dr Pepper Snapple Group/7UP, Acosta and Burger King.
At the community level, MDA is planning telethon viewing parties with hundreds of local groups to rally support for the more than 1 million Americans it helps with lifesaving support and services. MDA also is planning a comprehensive digital and social media campaign to drive online fundraising and engage supporters in new ways.
Over the decades, funds raised by MDA telethons also have contributed to the organization’s worldwide research program. Today, through current clinical trials, there is growing excitement that new lifesaving treatments and discoveries are on the horizon for many of the disorders MDA is dedicated to defeating, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
“Individuals with neuromuscular diseases are living longer, stronger lives thanks to the advances we’ve made over the years – particularly in the last decade – thanks in large part to past MDA supporters,” said MDA Chairman of the Board R. Rodney Howell, M.D.
“We’re redoubling our efforts to find and fund new discoveries that will save lives.”
MDA’s first Labor Day weekend telethon was broadcast in 1966 on a single New York station and has become the most successful fundraising event in the history of television. The show, with help from Jerry Lewis and a legion of top celebrities and entertainers, has raised millions each year to provide life-enhancing support and services for the families MDA serves.
The telethon has consistently enjoyed robust support from thousands of the biggest stars in show business. However, the real stars on the broadcast have always been the MDA families who have graciously agreed to open their homes and hearts to America and tell their stories of strength.
About MDA:
MDA is the world’s leading nonprofit health agency dedicated to finding treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, ALS and other neuromuscular diseases. It does so by funding breakthrough research, by providing lifesaving support, services and advocacy, and by rallying communities to fight back, all made possible by its generous supporters. For more information, visit mda.org and follow us on facebook.com/MDAnational and @MDAnews.
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No Jerry Lewis clip will be included in Telethon Memory in Sunday’s MDA Show of Strength (8 p.m.-10 p.m., on ABC).
The MDA show’s rundown lists assorted highlight clips from telethons long ago from Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., Carole King, Pitbull and Will.i.am.
Jerry Lewis is nowhere to be found on the show’s rundown, and MDA spokeswoman Roxan Olivas confirmed Monday that the comedian would not be featured in any clip on the TV show. However, Jerry Lewis will be mentioned on the air by Jann Carl, and the MDA has posted three memorable moments of Lewis on its website. But still, how the clip of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin on the 1976 show (with Frank Sinatra acting as a highly energized mediator) has not made the national fundraising telecast is sort of inexplicable.
No Jerry Lewis clip will be included in Telethon Memory in Sunday’s MDA Show of Strength
Roxan Olivas did provide a clear message of gratitude in a follow-up e-mail on Monday, saying: “It’s a time of great hope and progress in research, as treatments are on the horizon for many of the muscle diseases we cover in our program; none of this would be possible without the remarkable efforts of Jerry Lewis.”
That’s the strongest statement of recognition of Jerry Lewis by any member of the MDA since he left the organization in 2010.
Other artists featured in the here-and-now (and in taped performances) are the reassembled Backstreet Boys, Lee Ann Womack, Darius Rucker, Kenny Loggins, Luke Bryan and (from the Luxor in Fabulous Las Vegas!) Jabbawockeez.
For those yearning for a tote-board countdown for the money raised, one will be posted on the MDA website.
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Bryson Foster of Concord, North Carolina, is set to open the 48th annual MDA Show of Strength Telethon this Labor Day weekend, Sunday, September 1, 9/8c, on ABC television stations across the country.
Bryson Foster, 13, will make his second consecutive network television appearance as the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s National Goodwill Ambassador during the two-hour broadcast of the telethon that will air on WSOC, ABC Channel 9, for residents in the Charlotte area.
He will introduce some of the show’s biggest acts, including Grammy Award-winning pop sensation Backstreet Boys and teen pop star Austin Mahone. Bryson Foster makes several additional appearances throughout the show alongside co-announcer Shawn Parr doing segment introductions and national partner recognitions.
“Bryson’s positive attitude and quick-witted personality immediately capture the attention of everyone he meets, and we are honored that he will be a part of the broadcast again this year,” said MDA President and CEO Steven M. Derks. “Bryson’s enthusiasm is contagious, and he understands the importance of his role as National Goodwill Ambassador in spreading MDA’s mission of help and hope to the American public. We’re very lucky to have a shining star like him to represent the individuals and families we serve.”
Bryson Foster is MDA’s 2013 National Goodwill Ambassador, and as part of his role, he travels throughout the country (along with parents, Claire and Phil) speaking to groups about MDA’s research and lifesaving mission. Bryson is affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a disease characterized by muscle weakness in the hips, legs and shoulders. It involves progressive degeneration of voluntary and cardiac muscles; weakened cardiac and respiratory muscles severely limit life span.
Bryson Foster is set to open the 48th annual MDA Show of Strength Telethon this Labor Day weekend
Since becoming MDA’s Goodwill Ambassador in 2012, Bryson Foster has traveled all over the country as the face and voice of MDA. When he’s not busy on MDA’s behalf, Bryson is enthusiastic about his seventh-grade classes, and enjoys playing with his friends and singing karaoke. Bryson Foster is a self-proclaimed sports fanatic, and his ultimate dream is to become a quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, a head coach or sports announcer – in that order.
The 2013 telethon will feature a star-studded celebrity lineup, including: Ryan Seacrest; Backstreet Boys; country stars Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker and Lee Ann Womack; Glee star Matthew Morrison; Enrique Iglesias; Paula Abdul; teenage pop sensation Austin Mahone; hip-hop dance crew Jabbawockeez; American Idol runner-up Jessica Sanchez; Kenny Loggins with the Blue Sky Riders; American blues rock band Vintage Trouble; and Universal recording artist and star from The Voice Chris Mann.
Additional presenters for the 2013 show include: ABC’s Dr. Richard Besser; Dancing with the Stars contestant and Brady Bunch mom Florence Henderson; Emmy award-winning journalist Jann Carl; Olympic gold medal gymnasts Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner; and No Doubt drummer Adrian Young and his son Mason Young.
As in the past, the entertainment event will raise funds and awareness to support MDA’s mission to help children and adults affected by progressive and often fatal muscle diseases.
While the telethon has consistently enjoyed robust support from some of the biggest celebrities in show business, the real stars on the telethon are the individuals and families served by MDA, including six families who will share their stories of survival and hope during the 2013 broadcast.
The MDA telethon is one of America’s longest-standing and beloved fundraising and entertainment events. For 48 years, funds raised by MDA telethons also have contributed to the organization’s worldwide research program. Today, through current clinical trials, there is growing excitement that new lifesaving treatments and discoveries are on the horizon for many of the disorders MDA is dedicated to defeating, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
MDA’s first Labor Day weekend telethon was broadcast in 1966 on a single New York station and has become the most successful fundraising event in the history of television. The show, with Jerry Lewis as its iconic host through 2010, and with help from a legion of top celebrities and entertainers, has raised millions each year to provide life-enhancing support and services for the families MDA serves.
Visit mda.org/muscle to learn more about the 2013 MDA telethon.
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The MDA Telethon is must-see TV watching during the Labor Day weekend, an end-of-summer tradition in the U.S. since it first began in New York City in 1954.
For many years, a Labor Day weekend tradition featured the much-loved actor and comedian Jerry Lewis rallying public support in the battle to combat muscular dystrophy, a crippling disease which currently has no known cure.
Then, in a major announcement in 2011 it was revealed that after more than four decades the 85-year-old Jerry Lewis would be stepping down as the major host for the show. The epic 20-hour “all night” money raiser was also cut back to 6 hours, and then in 2012 to only a 2-hour broadcast featuring both taped and live performances.
As Jerry Lewis himself would say, “the show must go on” with 2013 marking the 48th annual Labor Day telethon.
In 2013, a bevy of star appearances and celebrity presenters will be lending their time and talents to the MDA Labor Day Telethon
This year, another MDA tradition comes to an end as the telethon moves from its usual “Love Network” of local stations to a major network in primetime.
The historic contract with the ABC television network means that the MDA telethon will for the first time air on a single network in its entirety nationwide.
In 2013, watch for the MDA Telethon to air on ABC from 9 – 11 PM on Sunday, September 1, 2013.
In 2013, a bevy of star appearances and celebrity presenters will be lending their time and talents to the MDA Labor Day Telethon.
They include Ryan Seacrest, Backstreet Boys, country stars Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker and Lee Ann Womack, Glee star Matthew Morrison, Enrique Iglesias, Paula Abdul, and teenage pop sensation Austin Mahone.
Nationwide, the telethon usually creates an outpouring of support from a big-hearted American public who in 2012 helped raise more than $58 million in pledges & contributions for both service and research programs of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
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The annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon that for years featured Jerry Lewis was not broadcasted this year in Joplin, Missouri.
The program was a staple of local television coverage for decades over the Labor Day weekend.
Local programming, shown on KODE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Joplin, has been broadcast from Cycle Connection in Joplin for the past 12 years.
Nancy Hutson, owner of Cycle Connection and a longtime supporter of the MDA benefit, said local organizers of the telethon were notified in May by the national association that a telethon would not be held in Joplin this year.
“They are going to hold one in Springfield, but we were told the Joplin market is just too small,” she said.
The annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon that for years featured Jerry Lewis was not broadcasted this year in Joplin, Missouri
Nancy Hutson stressed that local MDA supporters may contribute at firefighter boot blocks this weekend in Carthage, Webb City and Neosho, among other places. Carl Junction is not planning on holding a boot block. The annual MDA Ride for Life, one of the major local fundraisers for the organization, was held in July.
“This is the money that funds our clinic with Mercy Health System and helps us provide the services the local families need,” Nancy Hutson said.
“These boot blocks also were a big part of the telethon.”
Before it was held at Cycle Connection, the telethon had been held at the former John Q. Hammons Trade Center. Before that, it was held at the KODE studios.
“What’s happening now is that there are so many other things to watch on television on so many more channels over the Labor Day weekend that we are finding it incredibly difficult to get people to call in,” Nancy Hutson said.
“It’s much different now than in the 1950s when this thing started and there were only three options for watching television. The times change, but the needs don’t change.”
The amount of money that has been raised locally during the telethon is well into the millions of dollars, Nancy Hutson said. In 1987, the tote board had a goal of $135,000. Last year, that goal was $600,000.
The telethon dates to the 1950s, when the Jerry Lewis Thanksgiving Party for MDA raised funds for the association’s New York City area operations. The Labor Day weekend show has originated from Las Vegas for 28 of the 46 years it has aired.
The 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, Tennessee, said association spokeswoman Roxan Olivas in Tucson, Ariz.
It was set to show on various TV and cable channels in 150 markets around the country from 7:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central and Mountain time and 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time.
The renamed MDA Show of Strength was pre-produced and taped in Los Angeles, New York and Nashville
There won’t be a traditional tote board, and Roxan 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 MDA Labor Day weekend telethon ended a 45-year run last year with comedian and longtime host Jerry Lewis, who turned 86 in March and lives in Las Vegas.
Jerry 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 MDA telethon after starting it in 1966 with a marathon 22-hour show at a single TV station in New York.
Jerry 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 Jerry Lewis’ absence, telethon officials last year reported raising $61.5 million in a six-hour show with several hosts. A silent montage of Jerry Lewis film clips was shown, but he didn’t take part in person or tape his signature song, You’ll Never Walk Alone.
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The Muscular Dystrophy Telethon is must-see TV watching during the Labor Day weekend, an end-of-summer tradition in the U.S. since it first began in New York City in 1954.
Now an entertainment extravaganza airing live from Los Angeles, the show for many years featured the much-loved actor and comedian Jerry Lewis rallying public support in the battle to combat muscular dystrophy, a crippling disease which currently has no known cure.
In a major announcement last year, it was revealed that after more than four decades the 85-year-old Jerry Lewis would be stepping down as the major host for the show.
As Jerry Lewis himself would say, “the show must go on” as 2012 marks the 47th Annual Labor Day Telethon.
With last year’s shakeup continuing to reverberate, the MDA announced in February that the 2012 telethon would be cut short from last year’s already curtailed 6 hours to 3 hours this year – beginning at 8:00 PM ET on Sunday, September 2.
As usual, the 2012 MDA telethon will be broadcast on some 160 “Love Network” television stations across the country and viewed on the Internet via streaming video at www.mda.org.
In a major announcement last year, it was revealed that after more than four decades Jerry Lewis would be stepping down as the major host for MDA Labor Day Telethon show
MDA Labor Day Telethon Stars
In 2012, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan are lending their time and talents to the MDA Labor Day Telethon, redubbed this year as “MDA Show of Strength.”
Other artists participating in the three-hour telecast include Gavin DeGraw, Alanis Morissette, Paula Abdul, Hot Chelle Rae, Carole King, OneRepublic and Jesse McCartney, among others. The show will include performances from Nashville, Hollywood and New York, as well as celebrity appearances by Khloe Kardashian Odom, Nancy O’Dell and Alison Sweeney.
Nationwide, the telethon usually creates an outpouring of support from a big-hearted American public who in 2011 helped raise more than $61 million in pledges & contributions for both service and research programs of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Will 2012 prove to be another record-breaking year for muscular dystrophy research and support? Stay tuned…
Muscular Dystrophy Telethon TV Stations in Major Cities:
Boston, WCVB
Atlanta, WUPA
Dallas, KXAS
New York, WOR
Chicago, WGN
Las Vegas, KTNV
Washington DC, WDCW
Cincinnati, WSTR
Los Angeles, KCAL
Miami, WBFS
St. Louis, KSDK
San Francisco, KTVU
