The unexpected death of actor and comedian Jerry Lewis, 91, on Sunday put media focus on the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Lewis, who served as national chairman and hosted the MDA’s annual telethon fundraiser every Labor Day weekend from 1966 to 2010, helped raise more than $2.6 billion for the organization.

The MDA ended the telethon in 2015, transitioning from a 21-and-a-half hour show in 2010, Lewis’ last year, to a six-hour show in 2011, three hours the next year and two hours in both 2013 and 2014.

R. Rodney Howell, M.D., MDA chairman of the board, released the following statement on Aug 20.

“The Muscular Dystrophy Association is deeply saddened by the death of beloved comedian, performer, humanitarian and former MDA telethon star and national chairman Jerry Lewis,” Howell emailed The Press. “MDA would not be the organization it is today if it were not for Jerry’s tireless efforts on behalf of ‘his kids.’

“His enthusiasm for finding cures for neuromuscular disease was matched only by his unyielding commitment to see the fight through to the end. Jerry’s efforts on the annual MDA Telethon transformed the broadcast into an American tradition each Labor Day weekend for 45 years.

“MDA and the families we serve will always be grateful for the thousands of hours he dedicated through the telethon, which provided MDA with a platform to honor and acknowledge our longtime corporate partners and educate the American public who generously donated millions of dollars for unparalleled research and services.

“Jerry’s love, passion and brilliance are woven throughout this organization, which he helped build from the ground up.

“Though we will miss him beyond measure, we suspect that somewhere in heaven, he’s already urging the angels to give ‘just one dollar more for my kids.

“Thank you Jerry, you are our hero. God bless you. We send our deepest condolences to his wife Sam; his daughter, Danielle; his sons, Gary, Ronald, Scott, Christopher and Anthony; and the entire Lewis family.”

Fundraisers are now held locally including the MDA Lockup in the Lehigh Valley this coming October, the annual motorcycle Ride for Life, and the Shamrocks Program for the last 35 years in March.

HomeTown Breakfast, Bar and Grille, Breinigsville, took part in the Shamrocks Program and the entire staff got behind the fundraising effort raising more than $3,000 for MDA.

Lehigh Valley MDA Fundraising Coordinator Anastasia Pavlack commented on the group effort.

“For a first time location, usually we put a goal at $200 to $500, so to do $3,290 is amazing,” Pavlack said.

Pavlack applauded the group’s efforts and presented each one with an MDA T-shirt as the giant check in the final amount of $3,290 was presented.

HomeTown owners Vasili and Tom Gougoustamos and General Manager Ted Evangelou thanked their employees, customers and the community for their involvement.

“It was our pleasure and it was definitely fun,” Tom Gougoustamos said. “Everyone had a good time and it was for a great cause.”

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Parkland Press Editor Debra Palmieri contributed to this article.