Jay Tolman will gather with family, friends, and supporters in Hingham, Massachusetts, on Sunday, September 6, 2026, to host the 50th consecutive Annual Tolman MDA Telethon. The event marks five decades of continuous fundraising efforts dedicated to supporting families affected by muscular dystrophy.
The initiative began in 1976 when Tolman organized a backyard event under a tent at his mother’s home in Hingham, raising $50. Inspired by watching the 21-hour national Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon, he established the gathering as an annual tradition that was later featured during the national television broadcast in the late 1990s.
Over the past 50 years, the annual Labor Day weekend fundraiser has expanded into a long-standing community effort, raising more than $760,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Tolman’s wife, Jodi, began volunteering with the event in 1990, and their children, Charlie, Chloe, and Jack, grew up participating in the annual operations.
The event maintained its continuity even as Tolman relocated over the years. While living in Hollywood, California, and later during a 17-year residence in Princeton, New Jersey, the family traveled back to Massachusetts every Labor Day weekend to organize the fundraiser. Tolman currently resides in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The continuity of the tradition was put to the test during the 49th annual event when Tolman suffered a heart attack two weeks prior to the scheduled gathering. After returning home from the hospital, he chose to proceed with the fundraiser, supported by family, friends, and volunteers.
The primary goal for the upcoming 50th annual event on September 6 is to raise an additional $20,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. According to organization President and CEO Sharon Hesterlee, the long-running effort has created a legacy of support for people living with neuromuscular diseases.
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