Jerry Lewis Raises $54,9 Million For MDA, Storm Victims

Jerry Lewis's Telethon raised $54.9 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and more than $1 million for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Jerry, 79, known for his slapstick humor and his charity fund-raising telethons for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, decided to raise money for both causes after seeing reports from the Gulf Coast.

"I'm overjoyed we were able to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina and at the same time continue our 40-year tradition of helping my kids,'' Lewis said. "Of course, I'm not surprised. The American people have never let me down."

The money raised for Katrina's victims will go to the Salvation Army in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

This year's donation for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, was $4.5 million less than last year, but only because of the hurricane's disaster. It was the third time in 40 years that the telethon failed to surpass the previous year's total.