Neither Snow nor Rain nor Heat nor Gloom of Night:
50 Years of NALC Stalwart Support for MDA
TUCSON, Ariz., July 9, 2002 – During the evenings of Thanksgiving week 1953, thousands of letter carriers across the country set out on their routes a second time, this time to collect, not deliver. This all-volunteer "porch light brigade" gathered nearly $1 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the then-new "official charity" of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC).
It's been 50 years since the NALC signed on as the first national sponsor of MDA, an organization devoted to eradicating more than 40 neuromuscular diseases. Approximately 500 local branches actively participate in the effort each year.
Over the years, NALC has been a steadfast and generous sponsor of MDA, raising more than $20 million in the last 15 years alone.
Besides the porch light brigade, NALC members have employed a variety of creative fund-raising approaches, including raffles, golf tournaments, pancake suppers, roadblock canister appeals and backyard carnivals with dunking booths.
Carriers from top fund-raising NALC branches are invited to appear on the national broadcast of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. The 21½-hour Telethon will be seen on some 200 "Love Network" stations across the country beginning at 9 p.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 1.
The funds raised by NALC members support MDA's programs of research and services for families affected by neuromuscular diseases, such as help with buying wheelchairs and leg braces, clinic visits, educational publications and MDA summer camps for kids.
"The members of the NALC have done so much to further the fight against muscle-wasting diseases," MDA President & CEO Robert Ross said. "They've been with us from the beginning and they've never faltered. We're so grateful for their wonderful efforts and their commitment to delivering the cures for neuromuscular diseases."
For more information about MDA's work, call MDA national headquarters at (800) 572-1717 or visit www.mda.org.
