For third year in a row MDA telethon grows shorter; will be over before you know it

Since the unceremonious dumping of Jerry Lewis from the MDA telethon, and all things MDA for that matter, the Labor Day tradition grows shorter and shorter.  In 2011, the year Lewis was canned, the event was a 6 hour affair, last year just 3 hours and tonight, we will witness a 2 hour telethon.

In your time zone catch the MDA telethon from 8-10 on an ABC network.  Here in New Orleans it will air on ABC 26.

I understand that maybe the need for a 21-hour telethon is outdated and with modern technology today MDA still raises impressive sums of money year after year.  And make no mistake, many advances have occurred and of course there is always the sheer amount of services provided to patients by MDA.

I guess the tradition of the telethon is nostalgic for me because of my history with the whole thing including both local and Las Vegas events.  I've wrote about these before.  I loved Jerry Lewis and I say that acknowledging that not everybody does.  I do!  I hate the way he was treated at the end but continue to pay attention and support MDA.

I continue to remember fondly my deacon mentor, Rusty Read, who fought bravely but succumbed to the ravages of ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease.  And I, with hundreds of thousands of Saints fans keep praying and pulling for Steve Gleason.

Tonight, I'll watch for a little while but I will miss Jerry Lewis, again.  And I will think back fondly to those years associated with MDA.