CHICAGO, Aug. 29, 2014 /-- Champion boxers Laila Ali and Victor Ortiz are fighting back against muscle disease by appearing on the annual MDA Show of Strength Telethon this Labor Day weekend airing Sunday, Aug. 31, 9/8c on ABC television stations across the country.
Ali, former super middleweight world champion and current host of "All In, with Laila Ali,"
will introduce a performance from American rock band Fall Out Boy
during the Muscular Dystrophy Association's nationally broadcast show.
Ortiz will introduce R&B sensation Aloe Blacc's performance of
his hit "The Man." The former WBC welterweight champ-turned-actor took
time from promoting his supporting role in this summer's blockbuster
action flick "The Expendables 3" to show his support for MDA at the
Hollywood Palladium.
Both Ali and Ortiz took their support backstage at the show taping to
meet with MDA families and learn more about MDA's mission to save and
improve lives of children and adults affected by muscle disease.
"I've had to fight a lot of tough bouts in my career to become a champion, but that word - fight
- has a whole new meaning for me after meeting with MDA families and
learning about the challenges they face every day in the fight against
muscle disease," Ortiz said. "These families are true champions and I'm
happy to lend my support to help continue the progress that will one day
lead to cure for these life-threatening diseases."
The 2014 MDA telethon will feature a star-studded celebrity lineup with performances from Grammy® winners Rascal Flatts and LeAnn Rimes, plus Aloe Blacc, American Authors, Bret Michaels, Fall Out Boy, Jason Derulo, Matt Nathanson, R5 and Sara Evans.
Additional celebrity presenters on the telethon include: Tom Bergeron, ABC's Dr. Richard Besser, Jann Carl, Charles Esten, Terry Fator, Kevin Frazier, Josh Groban, Ludacris, Susan Lucci, Kesha, Alyssa Milano, Nancy O'Dell, Brad Paisley, Chris Powell, Jordin Sparksand Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz.
About MDA Show of Strength Telethon MDA's first Labor Day
weekend telethon was broadcast in 1966 on a single New York station and
has become the most successful fundraising event in the history of
television. The show, originally hosted by iconic star Jerry Lewis
and with help from a legion of top celebrities and entertainers, has
raised millions each year to provide life-enhancing support and services
for the families MDA serves. The real stars on the broadcast have
always been the MDA families who have graciously agreed to open their
homes and hearts to America and tell their stories of strength. This
year marks the 49th annual MDA telethon.
R.A. (RAC) Clark, longtime executive producer of the Academy of
Country Music Awards, will return for a third consecutive year as MDA
telethon executive producer.
In addition to funds contributed by the public, substantial support
also comes from MDA's family of national sponsors, whose work throughout
the year on behalf of MDA will be recognized on the telethon. Among the
sponsors: International Association of Fire Fighters, CITGO Petroleum
Corp., Lowe's, Harley-Davidson Motor Co., Jiffy Lube International,
National Association of Letter Carriers, The Safeway Foundation,
7-Eleven, Dr Pepper Snapple Group/7UP, Acosta and Burger King.
Funds raised by MDA telethons also have contributed to the
organization's worldwide research program. Today, through current
clinical trials, there is growing excitement that new lifesaving
treatments and discoveries are on the horizon for many of the disorders
MDA is dedicated to defeating, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy
(DMD), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS).
About MDAThe Muscular Dystrophy Association is
the world's leading nonprofit health agency dedicated to saving and
improving the lives of people with muscle disease, including muscular
dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular
diseases. It does so by funding worldwide research to find treatments
and cures; by providing comprehensive health care services and support
to MDA families nationwide; and by rallying communities to fight back
through advocacy, fundraising and local engagement.
