Three-hour program replaces long-running MDA Telethon; show will air on 14WFIE, KSDK, Fox 17 and WBKICarrie Underwood, Pitbull, Will.i.am and Carole King are set to headline the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s new three-hour Labor Day weekend entertainment special called MDA Show of Strength, which will air Sunday night at 7 p.m. CT (8 ET) on 14WFIE (Evansville), KSDK (St. Louis), WBKI and WMYO-58.3 (Louisville) and WZTV-Fox 17 (Nashville).
The show, which is a much shorter replacement for the long-running Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, will feature more than a dozen of today’s top entertainers from Hollywood, Nashville and New York, and will include inspirational “stories of strength” about families affected by muscular dystrophy and related diseases.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the show and the incredible talent we have lined up this year,” said MDA interim president Valerie Cwik, M.D. “MDA is in business to save and enhance lives. Our show will both entertain and urge the American public to answer the call to support critically important research and services for more than a million Americans affected by neuromuscular diseases.”
The following stars also are scheduled to appear: All-American Rejects, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, B.o.B, Brandy, Luke Bryan, Gavin DeGraw, Hot Chelle Rae, Karmin, Alanis Morissette, OneRepublic, Eva Simons, Paula Abdul, Max Adler, Jann Carl, Diana DeGarmo, Lou Ferrigno, Benji Madden, Joel Madden, Jesse McCartney, Tim McGraw, The Miz, Nancy O’Dell, Khloe Kardashian Odom, Alison Sweeney, Ace Young and more.
“This year’s show gives everyone involved a unique opportunity,” said executive producer RAC Clark. “We have a chance to tell a series of compelling stories about MDA families while delivering quality entertainment. In doing so, we can raise public awareness of MDA’s long-standing mission of help for today and hope for tomorrow.”
The story continues after the jump.
Through the years, MDA’s iconic fundraising show has presented some of TV’s most memorable moments. What started as a 21½-hour Labor Day weekend telethon was shortened to six hours in 2011 in response to changing television viewing habits.
“The broadcasting and entertainment industries have experienced dramatic change; as a result, our show has changed with it,” said MDA executive VP of Business Development Kevin Moran. “But our cause remains the same and our commitment to our families is unwavering. MDA has assembled an outstanding team focused on putting together a jam-packed, three-hour special that drives home our mission and inspires our audience to contribute generously.”
Stories of Strength
Six “stories of strength” will be told from the individuals’ and families’ perspectives. They include MDA’s new National Goodwill Ambassador Bryson Foster, a spunky 12-year-old who envisions a future as an NFL quarterback; Veronica Nino, a 45-year-old mother of three who is fighting for one more day with her family after being diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease); and a teacher affected by spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who credits MDA summer camp with giving her the confidence to pursue and achieve her dreams.
“I live independently, I work and have my own home — all of that is because of MDA,” said Angela Wrigglesworth during her show profile shoot in Houston.
The complete list of profiles includes: Veronica Nino, 45, of Friendswood, Tex.; Angela Wrigglesworth, 35, of Houston; Kennedy Healy, 17, of Omaha, Neb.; Latondra Chappell, 14, of Charlotte, N.C.; MDA National Goodwill Ambassador Bryson Foster, 12, of Concord, N.C.; and Justin Moy, 12, of Concord, Mass.
Learn more about all the MDA Show of Strength profile families at
mda.org/showofstrength.
“Of the utmost importance is that our show audience be introduced to the incredible individuals and families served by the Association,” Cwik said. “Their stories of strength are what inspire all of us at MDA to seek out and fund the most promising research in muscle disease, and to improve their daily lives through our services programs and advocacy efforts.”
Information for this story was provided by MDA.
