What is "telethon"

prolonged TV fundraiser, 1949, from television + marathon (see -athon). Milton Berle's 16-hour television cancer fundraiser in April 1949 might have been the first to be so called.

n. An event that brings in people to donate money through the phone via the television (TV).

A telethon (a portmanteau of " television" and " marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or even days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other purportedly worthy cause.

Most telethons feature heavy solicitations for pledges (promises to donate funds at a later time) combined with variety show style entertainment. The equivalent term for a radio broadcast is a radiothon; most radiothons do not include the entertainment.

"Telethon" is the 22nd episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 28th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 6, 2010. In the episode, Leslie volunteers to host a charity telethon and is given the unappealing 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. shift.

The episode was directed by Troy Miller and written by Amy Poehler, who stars as the protagonist Leslie Knope, her first script for the series. "Telethon" featured a guest appearance by retired basketball player Detlef Schrempf, as well as several actors who had previously appeared in Parks and Recreation, including Mo Collins and Jay Jackson.

The episode received generally positive reviews and, according to Nielsen Media Research, was seen by 4.03 million household viewers, roughly the same as the previous week's episode, " 94 Meetings".