Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon star studded event raised recordbreaking $65,031,393 — $1.2 million more than last year.

Veteran showman, MDA Board member and Telethon anchor Ed McMahon made his 42nd Telethon appearance.  Helping co-host the show this year were Tom Bergeron, host of "Dancing with the Stars" and "America's Funniest Home Videos;" Jann Carl of "Entertainment Tonight;" "Days of Our Lives" star and host of "Biggest Loser" Alison Sweeney; Nancy O'Dell, host of the popular newsmagazine show "Access Hollywood" and the Master of Malaprop, comedian Norm Crosby. Also co-hosting were recording artists Ace Young, who serves as MDA Celebrity Ambassador, and Billy Gilman, MDA National Youth Chairman.

Viewers were entertained throughout the legendary extravaganza by a top-notch array of singers, dancers, musicians and comedians. Included in the lineup this year were Celine Dion, 3 Doors Down, Kid Rock, Sugarland, Ludacris, Tracy Lawrence, Menudo, Will Downing, Billy Bob Thornton, Jimmy Wayne, Lance Burton, Bo Bice, George Wallace, Gloria Gaynor, Joshua Bell, Maureen McGovern, Pat Monahan of Train, Ronn Lucas, Starship, Terry Fator, Tony Orlando and many more.

MDA's programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors.

Mark and Diane Weisbeck, the award winning husband and wife sculpture team and the only artists to represent both New York and the United States in the 2008 Beijing, China Olympics Landscape Sculpture competition, have unveiled a 32 foot tall brass and stainless steel public waterfront sculpture.

For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, art has been an official category of competition. With 2600 international sculpture design submissions, only 8 finalists chosen by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, were Americans. Only two were from New York. Winners of the prestigious "Excellent Works" Award, Mark and Diane Weisbeck have been creating modern products, art and sculpture since 1985. "It was an incredible honor to be the only artists to represent New York as well as the United States in the Beijing Olympics," stated Mark Weisbeck. The Weisbeck's award winning Olympic sculpture, "The Celebration of Ren" was conceived of as a 50 foot tall "brush stroke," based on the Chinese pictograph, or letter, "ren," which means people.

With a grant from the New York State Department of State, the Weisbecks were funded $70,000.00 to create the 2 and ½ ton "Water Spirits". The public sculpture was unveiled in a ribbon cutting ceremony, on July 11, 2008, Rochester, New York, in which Diane Weisbeck was lifted 30 feet in the air with the help of a cherry picker bucket truck.

"Water Spirits" took 9 months to construct. The two entwined, stylized human figures represent all people of the world in peace and unity. Together they hold aloft a modern version of an ancient water vessel; a symbolic tribute to the life giving, vital waterways of our planet. The monumental sculpture was dedicated to the citizens of Rochester, New York, USA.

The P. O. R. T. A. L. PARANORMAL TALK RADIO SHOW, which is on the PARANORMAL RADIO NETWORK, an online radio network whose programming has exceeded over 107 countries of listeners, with hosts TUESDAY MILES and ANGELA THOMAS welcomes psychic medium, Hollister Rand to the show on Friday, September 3, 2008. A live broadcast will air beginning 9p, Eastern/8p, Central.

Claiming to be psychic is one thing, proving it is another. With Hollister Rand, there is no doubt. This psychic medium and clairvoyant sees, hears and communicates with those in the afterlife, and demonstrates her abilities in a number of ways: Through private practice, lectures, workshops and classes. Her knowledge of the unseen world is evident in her CD titled, "Many Doors: An Introduction to Mediumship. Beyond the CD's guided meditations, development exercises and answers about spirit communication, Rand's voice in particular stands out. Her talent as a singer is captured with every word, tone and pitch on the CD.

In addition to Rand's abilities, she serves as an advisor on the board of the Forever Family Foundation, an organization dedicated to the afterlife sciences, and grieving support services. Hollister is an experienced facilitator beyond her own workshops and classes. She instructs at the Learning Light Foundation in Anaheim, California. The Learning Light Annex, an adult education organization, has sponsored her work in New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Toronto, Canada. She continues to teach and facilitate workshops for Robert Brown's Spiritual Retreats, and Mediumship Bootcamps in the Bahamas and in Great Britain.

Seeing Hollister Rand give live demonstrations and communicate with those in spirit was an amazing experience. Her energy alone is rather contagious. In fact, one feels her energy long before she enters a room," says Angela Thomas about Hollister.

To learn more about Hollister Rand, Click Here

Do you have a dream? Most of us do and Luke Marshall is no exception. Writing music is his hobby, but could it also be his ticket out of a South London backwater, his escape from a dead-end job? Kenny English, the most successful lyricist of his generation, has lived the dream. Now, several platinum discs and three multi-million pound divorces later, Kenny faces bankruptcy unless he can find a new composer. Putting Luke and Kenny together seems the obvious answer: a leg up for Luke and a new start for Kenny. If only life were that simple. When fate intervenes and Luke disappears, Kenny teams up with the young musician's sister to try and track him down. As they criss-cross the capital they realize that things taken for granted may not always be true.

Boston Interactive, a web design and interactive marketing firm, is pleased to announce the launch of The Art Connection's redesigned website (www.theartconnection.org). The Art Connection is a not-for-profit organization that expands public access to visual art through a unique art donation and placement program to other not-for-profits in the Greater Boston area.

The Art Connection partnered with Boston Interactive in order to redesign their website and create an engaging online experience for artists, volunteers, and social services organizations. The new website is a symbol of The Art Connection's successful placement of over 3500 works of art and was built just in time to promote their 13th anniversary event "Harvesting the Dream, Seeding the Future". This event, honoring Al Chandler, a lead supporter of The Art Connection, is both a celebration and a fundraiser for the organization.

Through a clean and contemporary design and a unique, interactive art gallery, The Art Connection website captures the visitor's attention and keeps them involved and interested in the organization's mission. In addition, Boston Interactive developed a method to accept secure donations and register for events online which simplifies the philanthropic process.

"The design focus for the new Art Connection website was to quickly convey their innovative solution to get original artwork out into the community and organize their diverse audiences of art donors and recipients" said Chuck Murphy, founder and CEO of Boston Interactive. "We are thrilled with the results for both the design and the functionality of the Art Connection's new site, and are proud to have worked with such a unique nonprofit organization right here in Boston."

"We love our new website!" added Jim McDonald, Executive Director of The Art Connection. "Boston Interactive's talented team created for us a wonderfully functional and fun website that reveals what our art donation and placement program is all about. And they did it quickly, in time to promote our upcoming September fundraiser."

Alice Cooper guitarist Keri Kelli is pleased to announce he is offering four new custom Guitar Hero faceplates by Painted Axe, on his Web site KerriKelli.com.

Said Kelli, currently touring in support of the new Cooper disc "Along Came A Spider," "The overwhelming worldwide popularity of a guitar-oriented video game is just amazing. Guitar Hero has opened the doors to the electric guitar for a legion of kids these days; it just seemed incredibly cool to be able to make my own brand of face plates available to the market," explains Kelli.

"We are incredibly excited and honored by Keri's interest and confidence in Painted Axe," said Michael Gauf of Painted Axe. "He is an extraordinary musician and we look forward to transferring his intensity, energy and uniqueness onto the faceplates."

"Keri's notoriety and willingness to think outside the box is another positive step for Painted Axe," said Gauf. "We want musicians like Keri and his protégés to know Painted Axe provides unique opportunities for them to connect with fans and broaden their musical expression."