The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon Is No More

For nearly 50 years, the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon has been televised to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He left the broadcast in 2010 and now the telethon is over all together. The benefit event use to run for 21 and 1/2 hours on TV when Lewis hosted. Last year, the telethon only aired for 2 hours. This will be the first year without a telethon since 1966.

Steve Ford, MDA executive vice president, said, “With television time costly, the MDA’s fundraising efforts will move primarily online. The success of a viral event like ‘The Ice Bucket Challenge’ proves this is a potent area for philanthropy.” Hopefully for MDA, more people are interesting in dumping bucket of ice water over their heads than seeing Tony Orlando and Liza Minnelli perform.

Read more at hollywoodreporter.com

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