"American Idol" and "Glee" star Jessica Sanchez will be giving back to a good cause by participating in the 48th Annual MDA Telethon.
Slated to air Sunday, September 1, this year's telethon will also feature Ryan Seacrest, Backstreet Boys, country stars Darius Rucker and Lee Ann Womack, fellow "Glee" star Matthew Morrison, Enrique Iglesias, Paula Abdul, teenage pop sensation Austin Mahone, hip-hop dance crew Jabbawockeez, Kenny Loggins with the Blue Sky Riders, American blues rock band Vintage Trouble and Universal recording artist and star from the "The Voice" Chris Mann.
The MDA telethon is one of America's longest-standing and beloved fundraising and entertainment events. For 48 years, 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).
This year's lineup of talent will deliver one-of-a-kind show performances as they join celebrity presenters to engage viewers with powerful "stories of strength" and moving calls-to-action to help families affected by muscle diseases.
"The MDA telethon is an American tradition, powered by celebrities, national sponsors and, most of all, generous individuals who watch and donate," said MDA President and CEO Steven M. Derks. "This year we'll tell a powerful story of the progress we're making and breaking developments underway in the fight against muscle disease. We want America to get a glimpse of the hope we have that new lifesaving treatments are on the horizon as told through the eyes of courageous people fighting various neuromuscular diseases. On behalf of the tens of thousands of families we serve, MDA is remarkably hopeful and enormously grateful to all our supporters who make this progress possible. We think this year's show will be our best ever, truly a moving and entertaining two-hour experience."
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is the world's leading nonprofit health agency dedicated to finding treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular diseases. It does so by funding worldwide research; 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. Visit mda.org and follow at facebook.com/MDAnational.
