The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is an American 501(c)(3) umbrella organization that works to support people with neuromuscular diseases. Founded in 1950 by Paul Cohen, who lived with muscular dystrophy, it works to combat neuromuscular disorders by funding research, providing medical and community services and educating health professionals and the general public and contributed more than $1 billion toward researching therapies and cures, helping to fund the identification of the dystrophin gene responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy as well as prospective treatments. Renowned for The Jerry Lewis Telethon, the annual Labor Day telecast aired live from 1966 to 2010 and was hosted by Jerry Lewis, who also served as MDA's national chairman. Don Rickles, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Milton Berle, Wayne Newton, Norm Crosby, Don Francisco, Tony Orlando, Johnny Carson, Aretha Franklin, Maureen McGovern, Diana Ross, Angela Lansbury and others have also supported MDA over the years. The organization's headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois. History The organization was founded in 1950 by a group with personal connections to muscular dystrophy, including Paul Cohen who lived with the disease. Originally known as the Muscular Dystrophy Associations of America, it was renamed to its present name in the 1970s. In 1954, MDA began its partnership with the International Association of Fire Fighters for its annual Fill the Boot fundraising drive. In 1955, the organization held its first summer camp. In 1980, American motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson became an MDA National Sponsor; in 1987 the MDA Ride For Life program began, a fundraising motorcycle ride held over Labor Day weekend. In 1986, oil and gas provider Citgo became a second national sponsor of the organization. In 1982, the MDA Shamrocks program launched in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and became a national program one year later. In 1996, MDA and Lewis were jointly honored by the American Medical Association with a lifetime achievement awards for their contributions to the health and welfare of humanity. In October 2020, the MDA Telethon, which had originally run from 1966 to 2014, was reimagined as The MDA Kevin Hart Kids Telethon after a six-year hiatus. The two-hour event was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and streamed live on the Laugh Out Loud network and its YouTube channel. Celebrity guests for the 2020 telethon included Jack Black, Josh Gad, Michael B. Jordan, and Jillian Mercado. In November 2020, MDA launched a tool, called the neuroMuscular ObserVational Research