Jerry Lewis, the ubiquitous host of the annual Labor Day weekend telethon to benefit the Tucson-based Muscular Dystrophy Association, is retiring after 45 years.
The September broadcast will be his last in front of the camera, though the comic actor said in an MDA news release that he will continue to support the nonprofit organization behind the scenes as its national chairman. Four celebrities will co-host this year's telethon, and Lewis will appear in the final minutes to close the show with a song, said Jim Brown, vice president of public relations.
In addition to new hosts, this year's Sept. 4 telethon on KGUN-TV, Channel 9, will introduce a new, abbreviated format. The same mix of entertainment, human-interest profiles, local live updates and check presentations from past 21 1/2-hour telethons will be packed into six hours during prime time.
Money raised by the telethons supports research projects worldwide and fund client and family services including summer camps, support groups and equipment-loan programs, Brown said.
People are also reading…
Lewis, 85, has hosted the Labor Day weekend telethon since its inaugural television broadcast in 1966 by a lone New York City station. It was the first televised fund-raising event of its kind to raise more than $1 million, according to the MDA website. It now airs on about 170 stations and is seen by 40 million Americans. Last year the telethon raised $58.9 million.
The MDA was created in 1950 by a group of adults with muscular dystrophy, parents of children with muscular dystrophy, and a physician studying the disorder. Since its earliest days, Lewis has been a supporter, though he declines to publicly explain his passion for the cause.
Contact reporter Kimberly Matas at kmatas@azstarnet.com or at 573-4191.
Tim Steller's column: New info justifies recall against Sheriff Nanos
