Tote Board
- The telethon's tote boards varied from year to year; in the 1970s it was operated on a Solari-board, consisting of seven (later eight) number flippers using a white background and black numbers. Instead of using blank numbers, all flippers began with zeros. This tote board was discontinued after 1989 and replaced with a new tote board, first operated with the "eggcrate" display common on game shows, then later to an LCD-type "vane" display. By 2003, the tote board was changed to a screen display. The 2011 edition was the first not to use a tote board at all during the national segments, due to the show airing live only on most stations in Eastern Time, and on a tape delay in other time zones and on some Eastern Time stations.
- Elgin Watches was the sponsor of the telethon's toteboard as the "Official Timekeeper of the Telethon" in the late-1960s and early-1970s, at least during the telethon's New York years. From the mid-1970s to the early-1980s, Helbros was the toteboard sponsor. Since the early-1980s, the tote board had no dedicated sponsor, though some local stations continued to have a sponsor for their local tote boards.
Figures are from the final tote board number at the end of each telethon. For years 1967 on, increase or decrease is given compared to the previous year and to the previous record. As of 2011, the telethon has broken its previous record every year except 1982, 1983, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2011; 1983 and 2011's telethons improved over the previous year's totals without breaking the all-time record.
Through 2010, the final totes did not take into account any pledges that are made after the final tote is announced live—many stations would continue with their local segments afterward, with some stations delaying the final national tote until the very end of the telethon. As the 2011 telethon was not live outside of Eastern Time and could not keep a running national tote during the show, the final national tote for that year was not announced until the following day.
The publicly stated total counts only pledges and does not indicate the actual amount donated, which is published on the MDA's Form 990. In 2009, the telethon drew approximately $45,000,000 (three-fourths) of its pledges; in 2010, $48,000,000 (nearly five-sixths). However, despite publicly stating a higher pledge total for the short telethon in 2011, the actual amount raised by the telethon was much smaller, with only $30,683,816—slightly less than half—of the publicly stated total coming in, a steep drop-off from the last years under Lewis's stewardship.
No tote boards have been used since the reformat in 2011, although the 2011 edition announced a total after the special had aired. Donations via phone, text and MDA's website were urged by local network affiliates.
| Year | Amount | Change | From Record | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | $575,208 | ||||
| 1966 | $1,002,114 | First modern telethon | |||
| 1967 | $1,126,846 | +12.45% | +12.45% | ||
| 1968 | $1,401,876 | +24.41% | +24.41% | First year of the Love Network | |
| 1969 | $2,039,139 | +45.46% | +45.46% | ||
| 1970 | $5,093,385 | +149.78% | +149.78% | Love Network enters Los Angeles and San Francisco | |
| 1971 | $8,125,387 | +59.53% | +59.53% | ||
| 1972 | $9,200,754 | +13.23% | +13.23% | ||
| 1973 | $12,395,973 | +34.73% | +34.73% | First telethon to originate from Las Vegas | |
| 1974 | $16,129,213 | +30.12% | +30.12% | ||
| 1975 | $18,868,499 | +16.98% | +16.98% | ||
| 1976 | $21,723,813 | +15.13% | +15.13% | Jerry Lewis reunites with Dean Martin | |
| 1977 | $26,841,490 | +23.56% | +23.56% | $26,841,419 or 490 | |
| 1978 | $29,074,405 | +8.32% | +8.32% | ||
| 1979 | $30,691,627 | +5.56% | +5.56% | ||
| 1980 | $31,103,787 | +1.34% | +1.34% | Actors' strike | |
| 1981 | $31,498,772 | +1.27% | +1.27% | ||
| 1982 | $28,415,339 | -9.79% | -9.79% | Economic Recession | |
| 1983 | $30,691,627 | +8.01% | -2.56% | ||
| 1984 | $32,074,566 | +4.51% | +1.83% | ||
| 1985 | $33,181,652 | +3.45% | +3.45% | ||
| 1986 | $34,096,773 | +2.76% | +2.76% | ||
| 1987 | $39,021,723 | +14.44% | +14.44% | ||
| 1988 | $41,132,113 | +5.41% | +5.41% | ||
| 1989 | $42,737,219 | +3.90% | +3.90% | ||
| 1990 | $44,172,186 | +3.36% | +3.36% | Telethon moves to Los Angeles | |
| 1991 | $45,071,657 | +2.04% | +2.04% | Return to Las Vegas | |
| 1992 | $45,759,368 | +1.53% | +1.53% | ||
| 1993 | $46,014,922 | +0.56% | +0.56% | ||
| 1994 | $47,105,396 | +2.37% | +2.37% | ||
| 1995 | $47,827,221 | +1.53% | +1.53% | Return to Los Angeles | |
| 1996 | $49,146,555 | +2.76% | +2.76% | ||
| 1997 | $50,475,055 | +2.70% | +2.70% | ||
| 1998 | $51,577,023 | +2.18% | +2.18% | ||
| 1999 | $53,116,417 | +2.98% | +2.98% | ||
| 2000 | $54,610,289 | +2.81% | +2.81% | ||
| 2001 | $56,780,603 | +3.97% | +3.97% | ||
| 2002 | $58,276,118 | +2.63% | +2.63% | ||
| 2003 | $60,505,234 | +3.83% | +3.83% | ||
| 2004 | $59,398,915 | -1.83% | -1.83% | Florida Hurricanes | |
| 2005 | $54,921,586 | -7.54% | -9.23% | Hurricane Katrina | |
| 2006 | $61,013,855 | +11.09% | +0.84% | Return to Las Vegas | |
| 2007 | $63,759,478 | +4.50% | +4.50% | ||
| 2008 | $65,031,393 | +1.99% | +1.99% | ||
| 2009 | $60,481,231 | -7.52% | -7.52% | Ed McMahon's death; recession | |
| 2010 | $58,919,838 | -2.58% | -9.40% | Final long-form telethon (21.5 hours); Lewis' final telethon as host | |
| 2011 | $61,491,393 | +4.36% | -5.44% | First and only short-form telethon (6 hours); delayed broadcast by time zone | |
| 2012 | $58,706,015 | -4.53% | -9.73% | 3 hour, largely pre-recorded benefit concert |
Read more about this topic: MDA Labor Day Telethon
Famous quotes containing the words tote and/or board:
“The head must bow, and the back will have to bend,
Wherever the darkey may go;
A few more days, and the trouble all will end,
In the field where the sugar-canes grow.
A few more days for to tote the weary load,—
No matter, ‘t will never be light;
A few more days till we totter on the road:—
Then my old Kentucky home, good-night!”
—Stephen Collins Foster (1826–1884)
“This morning I threw up at a board meeting. I was sure the cat was out of the bag, but no one seemed to think anything about it; apparently it’s quite common for people to throw up at board meetings.”
—Jane Wagner (b. 1935)