Lewis Raises $61 Million for MDA

I remember watching the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon as a child, back in the 1970s when stars like Sammy Davis, Jr., Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and the like entertained America in order to raise money for a good cause. For me, there was something magical about the telethon in those days. I enjoyed seeing the big stars, the musical numbers and Broadway show performances.

It was nice spending several hours this year enjoying the telethon.

I don't want to get into the controversy about Lewis saying he "pities" the kids, as if pity is a dirty word. Whatever his motivation - and I personally believe it to be pure - he has raised a lot of money to help a lot of kids. There are not many people - celebrity or otherwise - who have done so much good for so many for so long.

At 80, Lewis is looking better than he has in the past few years, having lost a lot of weight. He raised $61 million this year to fight muscular dystrophy. They may love him in France for his movies, but he should be admired by compassionate people worldwide for his tireless efforts in fighting degenerative muscular diseases.