Research!America to Honor Jerry Lewis
With Media Advocacy Award for MDA Work

TUCSON, Ariz., March 14, 2002 – Jerry Lewis, legendary comedian/filmmaker and longtime national chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, will receive Research!America's 2002 Advocacy Award for Impact on Public Opinion Through the Media.

Lewis was selected for the award in recognition of his "tireless advocacy spanning five decades to support research seeking the causes of and effective treatments for more than 40 neuromuscular diseases," noted Mary Woolley, president of Research!America.

Walter Anderson, chairman and publisher of Parade magazine and an MDA national vice president, nominated Lewis for the honor, and will accept the award on Lewis' behalf at a banquet Monday at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington.

Previous recipients of the award include editor Morton Kondrake and television journalist Katie Couric.

Anderson's nomination of Lewis noted that, when Lewis began his work for MDA in the early 1950s, only one U.S. scientist was studying neuromuscular disease. Today, some 350 scientists receive grants as principal investigators in MDA's worldwide research effort.

In announcing Lewis' selection, pioneer heart surgeon Michael DeBakey said, "Rarely has one name ever been so closely associated with an area of research and hope for human disease." DeBakey is an honorary member of Research!America's Board of Directors and an MDA national vice president.

Research!America has played a major role in leading the drive to double the federal budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) over a five-year period. Last year, Lewis led an MDA delegation that testified before the U.S. Senate to encourage passage of the MD-CARE Act — legislation designed to significantly increase the NIH commitment to muscular dystrophy research. The act was signed by the president in December.

"I'm proud to have been able to tell the American people how important it is to stop this enemy," Lewis said. "This award reflects not only what I've done, but also the generous caring shown by millions of Americans who support the Muscular Dystrophy Association."

Research!America is a nonprofit education and advocacy alliance dedicated to making medical and health research a higher national priority.

MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education.