Jerry Lewis telethon raises $63.8M for MDA

Las Vegas -- Hollywood icon Jerry Lewis helped raise a record-breaking $63.8 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association through his Labor Day telethon.

This weekend's 42nd annual event was 21 1/2 hours long and staged primarily at the South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa in Las Vegas, with some live segments broadcast from New York and Chicago.

Hosted by the 81-year-old actor and comedian, the star-studded variety show was broadcast on 190 television stations across the United States.

Last year, Lewis and MDA raised $61 million to fund research and services for children and adults with neuromuscular diseases, MDA said on its Web site.

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Copyright 2007 by United Press International.