May 24, 2004

ON MDA’S FIRST CHAMPIONS, THE LETTER CARRIERS

We all depend on letter carriers. By delivering the mail, they enable America to conduct its daily business. But families served by MDA depend on letter carriers in an even more profound way. When it comes to fighting muscular dystrophy, letter carriers deliver hope itself.

	Representatives of the National Association of Letter Carriers appeared on the 2003 Telethon. The NALC’s total fund-raising contribution for 2003 was $1.7 million.

On last year’s Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon, NALC representatives presented a series of checks, culminating in a total 2003 fund-raising contribution of $1.7 million. MDA National Chairman Jerry Lewis gratefully acknowledged the NALC’s compassionate efforts to his Telethon audience.

The NALC became MDA’s first national sponsor in 1952, when the union officially declared MDA, a fledgling organization that had been formed only two years previously, as its charitable cause.

Founded in 1889, the NALC is the union of city letter carriers employed by the U.S. Postal Service. Letter carriers delivered 203 billion pieces of mail last year, six days a week, to over 138 million homes and businesses in every city, suburb and town in America. The NALC is affiliated with the AFL-CIO and with UNI, an international alliance of communications unions.

Letter carrier support of MDA entered the public consciousness in a big way in 1953. The union's first nationally coordinated campaign to raise funds for MDA took place during Thanksgiving week, when tens of thousands of letter carriers in more than 800 cities returned to their routes for a second time after completing their holiday-heavy mail deliveries to collect door-to-door for MDA.

Canister collecting is one of many fund-raising activities that NALC members have undertaken during their half century of dedicated work in behalf of MDA.

The all-volunteer effort was officially designated "The Letter Carrier March for Muscular Dystrophy," although it earned another nickname: "The porch light brigade." Popular entertainers Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis publicized the event on national television, asking viewers to leave their porch lights on as a signal of their desire to support MDA.

At the end of the week, the results were impressive, even by modern standards. The porch light brigade had collected nearly $4 million.

This amazing infusion of funding was crucially necessary at a time when MDA was beginning to implement its comprehensive programs in research and medical services. Throughout the ensuing decades NALC support was indispensable in helping MDA to improve and expand upon its services benefiting families affected by neuromuscular diseases.

Over the years, letter carriers have kept their commitment to MDA vital and strong. NALC members have put on golf tournaments, bowling events, walk-a-thons, bingo nights, pancake breakfasts, raffles, roadblock canister drives – practically everything under the sun that would or could raise money to help “Jerry’s kids.”

As a result, letter carriers have raised more than $50 million to fight muscular dystrophy. That’s an amazing accomplishment and a tribute to the dedication and compassion of NALC members and to the leadership of NALC President and MDA National Vice President William H. Young.

Through its long-term support of MDA, the NALC has had a significant impact on the lives of countless families affected by the progressive neuromuscular diseases MDA is dedicated to defeating.

	MDA’s California Goodwill Ambassador, Alexis Villa, 8, has spinal muscular atrophy. In May, she visited MDA National Headquarters in Tucson, Ariz. with her mother, Sonia, who’s a member of NALC branch 24.

Take the case of Alexis Villa. She’s 8 years old and serves as MDA’s Goodwill Ambassador for the state of California. Alexis has spinal muscular atrophy and lives in Pico Rivera. Her mother, Sonia, is a postal worker and member of NALC Branch 24. Alexis loves MDA summer camp and looks forward to it every year. MDA has also helped her through assistance in the purchase of leg braces to keep Alexis mobile.

Her story is one among those of thousands of children and adults affected by neuromuscular diseases who benefit from MDA’s programs. Thanks to medical advances, including better respiratory care, many individuals fighting the muscular dystrophies and related diseases now experience an improved quality of life and increased life expectancy, as opposed to the far less hopeful outlook that existed when NALC first began its support of MDA so long ago.

It’s been said that old friends are the best friends. As our first MDA national sponsor, NALC members have been with us since nearly the beginning and, per William Young, they intend to remain with us until the day when neuromuscular diseases no longer exist.

We’re proud of our enduring association with our letter carrier friends. Along with NALC members and their leadership, we look forward to the day when the NALC can rightly claim credit for having played a major part in bringing about the final defeat of neuromuscular diseases.

With every best wish...

The Ross Report Archive