| JERRY LEWIS & DEAN MARTIN 1954 TELETHON! |
More than 50 Years of NALC Support
~ Millions to fight Muscular Dystrophy
The Porch Light Brigade . . .
The NALC embraced the Muscular Dystrophy Association as
its "official charity" in 1952, becoming the first official national
sponsor of the group founded in 1950. The union's first
nationally coordinated campaign to raise funds for MDA came
during Thanksgiving Week in 1953, when tens of thousands of
letter carriers in more than 800 cities returned to their routes
for a second time after completing their holiday-heavy mail
deliveries. The all-volunteer effort was called "The Letter
Carrier March for Muscular Dystrophy."
In 1954, through the efforts of letter carriers in Chicago, a
grant of $28,102.75 was presented to the University of Chicago
College of Medicine for research on Muscular Dystrophy. In
the picture Dr. Ralph W. Gerard, professor of
neurophysiology, accepts check from NALC's Chicago Branch
11 carriers.
Individual letter carriers repeated their appointed rounds in the
evening, soliciting donations door to door. Because of the late
hour the volunteers got the nickname "the porch light
brigade." Many carried their now-empty leather mail satchels
as badges of authenticity to reassure donors these men and
women could be trusted with their hard-earned nickels, dimes
and quarters.
At the end of the week, the results were mind boggling, even
by today's standards--nearly $4 million collected!
~ Millions to fight Muscular Dystrophy
The Porch Light Brigade . . .
The NALC embraced the Muscular Dystrophy Association as
its "official charity" in 1952, becoming the first official national
sponsor of the group founded in 1950. The union's first
nationally coordinated campaign to raise funds for MDA came
during Thanksgiving Week in 1953, when tens of thousands of
letter carriers in more than 800 cities returned to their routes
for a second time after completing their holiday-heavy mail
deliveries. The all-volunteer effort was called "The Letter
Carrier March for Muscular Dystrophy."
In 1954, through the efforts of letter carriers in Chicago, a
grant of $28,102.75 was presented to the University of Chicago
College of Medicine for research on Muscular Dystrophy. In
the picture Dr. Ralph W. Gerard, professor of
neurophysiology, accepts check from NALC's Chicago Branch
11 carriers.
Individual letter carriers repeated their appointed rounds in the
evening, soliciting donations door to door. Because of the late
hour the volunteers got the nickname "the porch light
brigade." Many carried their now-empty leather mail satchels
as badges of authenticity to reassure donors these men and
women could be trusted with their hard-earned nickels, dimes
and quarters.
At the end of the week, the results were mind boggling, even
by today's standards--nearly $4 million collected!
| WITH: Dean Martin Jerry Lewis Eddie Cantor Letter Carriers Of America Carol Richards Phil Harris Anna Marie Albergetti Jane Wyman Danny Thomas Jerry Lewis Sings Spike Jones & His City Slickers Vic Damone Phil Silvers **BONUS** Dean & Jerry on the 500 Club Show |
