Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleJerry Lewis MDA Telethon brings in $60.5 million
Monday, Sept. 7, 2009 | 9:26 p.m.
Related Blogs
- The Kats Report: Jerry Lewis’ poignant ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ closes $60 million telethon (9-7-09)
- The Kats Report: Lewis the ringleader, still, as MDA Telethon rolls on at South Point (9-7-09)
- The Kats Report: Keeping pace with the Vegas holiday weekend is a labor of love (9-4-09)
The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon raised nearly $60.5 million from this year's Labor Day event.
The 44th annual event brought in about $5 million less than last year. Lewis, the Muscular Dystrophy Association national chairman, said the amount raised was impressive despite a tough national economy.
"These are very special people, and their money comes straight from the heart," Lewis said. "Right now, the only thing I can think of to say, other than thank you, thank you is, 'love conquers all.' So many people, everywhere, even with cares of their own, dug deep to show their wonderful compassion for others who need their help."
This was the fourth consecutive year the show has originated from the South Point Hotel and Casino.
The 21 1/2-hour event reached nearly 40 million viewers on 180 TV stations (broadcast locally on KTNV Channel 13). Co-hosts included TV's Jann Carl; Nancy O'Dell, host of "Access Hollywood;" and Alison Sweeney, of "Days of Our Lives" and host of television's "Biggest Loser."
Also co-hosting and performing were musicians Ace Young and Billy Gilman. Tom Bergeron of "Dancing with the Stars" and "Funniest Home Videos" appeared in taped segments. Entertainers included Wynonna, Dolly Parton, Tony Orlando, Reba McEntire, Bo Bice, Charo, Train, comedian George Wallace, Lee Greenwood, Joshua Bell, Three Dog Night, Five for Fighting and Terry Fator.
The money raised will allow the MDA to keep funding worldwide research to find treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy and related diseases. Contributions also provide assistance with the purchase of equipment such as wheelchairs, send thousands of children to MDA summer camp and support more than 200 MDA clinics across the country.
This year's show was the first since 1973 not to feature Ed McMahon as emcee for the characteristically Vegas-rich showcase. McMahon’s widow, Pam, looked on from the audience as a nine-minute tribute film was played for the national audience.
The event was moved back to Las Vegas from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 2006. This year is only the fourth time (1982, 2004 and 2005) the telethon raised less than the prior year.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
Everything Under the Sun
Blogs
The Kats Report
Las Vegas Philharmonic says search for new music director to begin 'immediately' (1 Comment)
With Shenandoah project stalled, Wayne Newton hits back legally (7 Comments)
Where does a Playmate play when she turns 21? Vegas! (3 Comments)
Ice Ice Billy
The road to six-toed cats and Mayor Bubba
The Kats Report
David Itkin tells L.V. Philharmonic officials he's on his way out (14 Comments)
Diamond Dave sells it well as Van Halen pours out the power at MGM Grand (2 Comments)
Entering debut at Tryst, Nick Hissom is a model for a rapid rise to prominence (3 Comments)
- Locally owned and independent since 1950; Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, best news website in the nation & DuPont Award for broadcast journalism
Since muscular dystrophy is an inherited X-linked chromosome disorder isn't its cure simply to prevent those carrying the mutated gene from procreating?
Isn't muscular dystrophy merely the result of an uncleansed gene pool?
As to the above comment, mental illness appears to be from the same source. You are a smart mouth and a fool.
Why should motorcyclists support the MDA--inefficient, poor-administered, rated only two-star by Charity Navigator--when there are so many other charities rated higher for doing more with less? Better question is, why should bikers support ANY non-biker charity ... and thereby indirectly fund the anti-motorcycle healthcare and insurance lobbies ... while every year more than 108,000 biker households suffer loss of income, limb or life ... incurring catastrophic medical bills, burial costs and other expenses ... often due to failure-to-yield and other right-of-way violations resulting from the discretionary distractions of care-less cagers who go unpunished for their crimes? Who is more deserving of biker charity than our own? More here: tinyurl[dot]com/pgny4n
Tell me Mr. Lewis how it is that you don't have a regular job in the movies, on stage or perform any more. How do you earn a living?
Haven't you gone broke a couple of times? I guess MDA must pay you awfully well for your one weekend a year schtick for them. You look healthy enough for 83 and certainly not under nourished...at least visibly...that must be one hell of a good paying job you've got now.
Good Luck...I hope you don't go broke again!
we wanted to go watch live and we got "tom fooliered" told it was the South Point. Went but couldnt donate any money there it was at the Las Vegas Hilton. we wont get Tom Fooliered next year!