MDA ends Jerry Lewis Labor Day telethon

Ann Oldenburg | USA TODAY

For years, Labor Day wasn't just a day off from work. It meant it was time to watch the annual Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon.

It was time to watch Jerry Lewis in action.

Now, it's truly the end of an era. The MDA announced today it's ending the tradition. No more telethon.

In a note on its MDA website, the group said "the new realities of television viewing and philanthropic giving" make it the right time to pull the plug. There will be no broadcast this year.

Lewis' reign was already over. That ended in 2010 when he parted company with MDA.

The thing is, the MDA telethon was more than just a fundraiser. It was a star-studded parade of singers and entertainers.

It was first hosted by Lewis and Dean Martin in 1956 from Carnegie Hall. After that, Lewis was named the organization's National chairman, a voluntary position he would hold for 55 years.

It became a weekend-long Labor Day telethon in 1966, usually kicking off Sunday night and running into Monday afternoon.

Celebrities including Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Pitbull, Robin Williams, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Lopez carved out time in their schedules to appear.

And it was thrilling to watch the numbers on the tote board ring up like a slot-machine jackpot as money poured in for the cause so near and dear to Lewis' heart. It became a personal endurance test for Lewis, who never said why he was so involved. He usually ended the event by singing You'll Never Walk Alone.

The telethon ran 21-and-a-half hours in 2010, Lewis' last year as host, and had dwindled to a two-hour show the last two years.

The telethon has raised more than $2 billion since its inception for MDA, which now says it "plans to invest more in digital and mobile channels for consumer engagement and activation."