This weekend, the Muscular Dystrophy Association nationally broadcasted the 48th annual telethon over Labor Day weekend, successful raising $59.6 million. Starting on Sunday, there was a two hour “MDA Show of Strength” that aired on ABC with the President and CEO, Steven M. Derks, addressing how the money raised will be applied towards treatment of muscular dystrophy and related diseases, as well as funding for research to find a cure.
The total amount of money raised had been donated from pledges during the show and went through midnight Monday. It also included money that had been raised by MDA sponsors. For this event, many celebrities helped make it a success. The highlights of this telethon included having the Backstreet Boys open the show with a dual performance of “In a World Like This” and “I Want It That Way.” During this national broadcast, there were performances by teen pop sensation Austin Mahone, who was the 2013 MTV VMA recipient for “Artist to Watch,” performing his hit single “What About Love”. Country star Darius Rucker performed “Radio” and “Glee” actor/singer Matthew Morrison performed “On the Street Where You Live.” There were also performances by music artists Lee Ann Womack and Luke Bryan. In addition to these performances, there were also celebrity appearances by Ryan Seacrest, Paula Abdul, Enrique Iglesias, “American Idol” runner-up Jessica Sanchez, Universal recording artist and star from “The Voice” Chris Mann, and hip-hop dance crew Jabbawockeez.
This telethon was definitely a huge success, as it raised over one million dollars more than last year’s telethon.