Friday; September 4
For some of you, this may not mean much; but there are a lot of us who remember the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethons. In fact, I think what I learned about raising money using emotional pleas and telephones came from those weekends. Now, let me offer a bit of explaining. During the 1960s and 1970s Jerry Lewis, a famous comedian from back in the day, hosted a telethon to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Associations of America. To do this, he would bring on guests for a marathon television event. As a kid fascinated with entertainers – and looking for one last hurrah before the beginning of the school year – I spent a lot of late nights anxiously awaiting the next singer or comic. Knowing I could sleep in late on Labor Day seemed to make it all worthwhile. Interestingly, as I look back on these telethons, I remember the good times, but what really made them stand out was the good work. Millions of dollars were raised to help the p...