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Jerry Lewis to Retire From Annual Labor Day Telethon After 45 Years
by Jean Bentley, posted May 17th 2011 11:50AM
It truly is the end of an era.Comedian and overall TV legend Jerry Lewis announced today that he'll retire from hosting his annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon, with this Labor Day's event being his last.
"As a labor of love, I've hosted the annual Telethon since 1966, and I'll be making my final appearance on the show this year by performing my signature song, 'You'll Never Walk Alone,'" he said in a statement. "I'll continue to serve MDA as its National Chairman -- as I've done since the early 1950s. I'll never desert MDA and my kids."
The 21 1/2-hour telethon has raised more than $2.45 billion over the years, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times. Lewis has dedicated more than 900 hours of live television raising money for the MDA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy.
"This year's six-hour prime-time Telethon on Sept. 4 will be spectacular, and I'm thrilled to be part of it," Lewis continued. "We're so close to treatments that it's absolutely vital for everyone to tune in and make a generous donation. America has always found a way each year to give me that just one dollar more to help my kids."
MDA President and CEO Gerald C. Weinberg thanked Lewis for his service, saying "All of us who've been privileged to work beside him and the hundreds of thousands throughout the world affected by the myriad of muscle diseases MDA battles will acknowledge in our hearts forever the unrivaled role Jerry has played in our lives and the lives of all Americans. We're deeply honored that Jerry Lewis will continue as MDA's National Chairman and we're profoundly grateful for everything he has done and is doing for the Association."
Tell us: Do you have any fond memories of Telethon days of yore? Are you sad to see Lewis step down as host?
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