Muscular Dystrophy Association seeks post-telethon identity

NEW YORK (AP) — For 45 years, many Americans identified the Muscular Dystrophy Association with one man and one event — comedian Jerry Lewis and his annual Labor Day telethon.

On the upside, the MDA's leadership brims with enthusiasm about steps taken this year — among them, expanding online outreach and fundraising, and pledging to double spending on research toward drug development and clinical trials to better combat a range of muscle-debilitating diseases.

According to data compiled by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, that's down from a peak of $183.5 million in 2007.

The data also shows the MDA slipping in comparison to other U.S. charities — it ranked 32nd in 1991 in terms of private donations, and fell to 192nd in 2014.

Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, said the MDA's decision to abandon the telethon in favor of new, online-based fundraising methods epitomized the challenges faced by many long-established charities.

Lewis' abrupt exit, announced by the MDA a month before the 2011 telethon, was never fully explained, though it was clear that the declining reach of broadcast TV was a factor.

Akmakjian, who has used a power wheelchair since he was 3, graduated from Colorado State University in 2013 and works as director of marketing and client relations at a pain management clinic.

The camp program, which serves roughly 3,800 children each summer at no charge, is one of three main components of the MDA's work, along with funding of research and operating a nationwide network of more than 150 care centers.