For four decades, he hosted an annual telethon for those with muscular dystrophy.
What do you do when you are as famous and wealthy as Jerry Lewis? You can keep all the fame and fortune to yourself, or you can try and share it with others. Lewis’ career was spent attempting to help people with muscular dystrophy.
Jerry was eventually the face of an annual telethon during the 1960s. From 1966 to 2010, he was the face of ‘MDA Labor Day Telethon,’ raising around $2.5 billion in that time. Lewis’s reputation was boosted by the success of this event, which established him as a charitable man in Hollywood.
Jerry Lewis’ telethon was criticized by some people with muscular dystrophy
Jerry’s efforts have not only raised money for those suffering from muscular dystrophy, but they’ve also helped to raise awareness about the condition. However, his telethons were not without flaws, despite all the good they did. Many of the loudest critics are those who suffer from muscular dystrophy. They find that this annual event is demeaning.
The telethons often made the audience feel sorry for the disabled. They also felt that the focus was on “curing” the disorder, rather than making life easier for the people who suffer from it. They think that increased accessibility, greater employment opportunities, and other factors are more important than trying cure the disease.
