Posted on 09/07/2009 6:27:16 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Despite the effects of an uncertain economy, contributions and pledges to the 44th annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon over Labor Day nonetheless totaled $60,481,231 million.
MDA National Chairman and Telethon star Jerry Lewis said he was impressed by the show of support from Telethon viewers even during hard times.
"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."
The funds will allow the Muscular Dystrophy Association to continue funding worldwide research to find treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy and related diseases.
Contributions also provide assistance with purchase of equipment such as wheelchairs and leg braces; send thousands of children to MDA summer camp; and support more than 200 MDA clinics across the country.
Last year's Telethon raised a record $65 million.
Lewis was surprised during the broadcast with the news that he'll be receiving a special Trustees' Emmy award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in January for his work on behalf of MDA.
The legendary 21 1/2-hour event originated for the fourth year in a row from the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa Las Vegas. It reached nearly 40 million viewers by way of 180 television stations that comprise MDA's "Love Network." People around the world saw the Telethon at www.mda.org via RealNetworks.
Co-hosts of the show included TV's Jann Carl; Nancy O'Dell, host of "Access Hollywood;" and "Days of Our Lives" star and host of television's "Biggest Loser" Alison Sweeney. Also co-hosting as well as performing were recording artists Ace Young and Billy Gilman.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
From the 2008 Annual Report:
"In 2008 MDA allocated $162.4 million to research, health care services, and professional and patient health education. Of every dollar MDA spent, 78.3 cents was dedicated to program services. Fundraising costs accounted for 14.1 cents, and management costs were 7.6 cents. MDA is accredited by the Better Business Bureau, and has been listed as a “Top-Rated Charity” by the American Institute of Philanthropy."
Seems ok to me. I have used 75% in the past as the don’t donate point. Read something about that maybe 20 years ago.
As for how long does it takes. Why don't you provide the cure and they can close shop. Then you can move on to cure cancer.
“Why don’t you provide the cure and they can close shop.”
The obvious retort is that MDA is the one who has collected considerable resources from a trusting, good-hearted American populace, for decades, and has accomplished little, besides providing well-paid jobs for those who work for them. All that’s fine, they have the right to do this. But it’s disingenuous for Jerry to be out there crying every year and putting on his act, while the organization runs a less-than commendable operation. And they also are very crafty with their accounting, which has one of the complaints against them for decades. About as ‘transparent’ as Obama’s transparent Administration. My charity money goes elsewhere.
Don’t watch. Don’t donate.
I don’t, and I don’t.
You started here making serious accusations and you were wrong. In some businesses that's considered libel. When you make those statements, which you could not support, they may be read by hundreds or thousands of people who will act on your false accusations. Check your information out first. That's the ethical thing to do.
A few years back, Andy Willams was anchoring the Branson location and that night, Branson was by far the best in terms of delivering entertainment.
Sorry pal, but I was not wrong. There were strong complaints filed against this organization about a decade ago by the very people they purported to help, those with MD and those who care for them. The complaints centered around the revenue to expenses ratio, which was ridiculous at the time, and in the neighborhood of what I quoted you in a prior post. It was a complete joke and people were shocked. The L.A. Times was even compelled to cover the story but dutifully steered the discussion away from the finances and towards a ‘disagreement over how those with MD were being portrayed to the public’, by Jerry Lewis and his organization. That was a minor issue, the finances were the primary problem. With the scrutiny, MDA closed ranks and was forced to clean up its act financially, but they still continued to fight against anyone asking for a clear accounting of what was going on. The joke at the local bar in our area was that people were buying those paper MDA hearts and cutting them in half before putting them up on the wall, to indicate how much of their $1 or $5 was going to Jerry and how much to MDA. People were openly mocking this organization.
So you can continue glorifying this farce and continue sending money to employ people with six figures jobs, I don’t really care. But I won’t, and when people continue to mindlessly support Jerry Lewis just because the media tells them to, I will continue to hammer.
MDA more closely resembles a government bureaucracy than it does a charity. They use other people’s money to fund a bunch of do-nothing jobs, under the guise of some socially responsible program that shows moderate results at best. But a lot of people make money playing with the public’s money.
You started out with a false accusation and have gone downhill since.
Take your hard on for MDA and stick it somewhere else.
I didn’t say that you glorified these guys. I indicated that many do, and I just don’t think they deserve such accolades. And you can continue with your head in the sand and claim this is a false accusation, but it is not. Regardless, it’s not that big of a deal, feel free to continue contributing to them. And I won’t, and that’s fine.
Please go away.
“Please go away”
Feel free to follow your own instruction. And also feel free to continue supporting the salaries of the MDA employees.
I don’t remember that. I think he went straight to Vegas. Could be wrong about that, I was kinda young at the time.
Yeah, I have to admit the Branson year was better than the Muppet year. It just seemed ... odd, I guess, to see the telethon, only it wasn’t the telethon. Also, I remember that at least one entire segment (probably 1/2 hour) was repeated during the 6-hour tape I made.
I have to lock and load for the sheep that steal my crops. No sheat. In the middle of the day. They’re raping me of my income. Until I catch them, different story.
You’ll hear that on the MSM.
Me too. LOL
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