Wikipedia
The Teletón in Mexico is an annual 24-plus-hour TV and radio broadcast, started in 1996, to raise money for children's rehabilitation centers (known as Centro de Rehabilitación Infantil Teletón or CRIT – "Teletón Children's Rehabilitation Center" in English). The Mexican Teletón is produced by Televisa and more than 500 Mexican and foreign media; more than 100 commercial firms sponsor the event. Teleton's mission is "to provide knowledge about physical disabilities, giving a strong message about respect, equality and support to people in these conditions". Teletón is the world's largest private medical unit and rehabilitation center for children.
Since 1997, Teletón has begun on the first Friday in December. The 2010 Teletón was held on December 3–4; as always, it was seen as "a project of national unity where Mexicans have the chance to gather and work for the same cause". From 1996–2003, the end of the event was marked by a concert in Azteca Stadium. Since 2004, the venue has varied: in 2004–2005 it was held at Mexico City's Zócalo, in 2006 at the Foro Sol and in 2007–2008 it was moved to the National Auditorium.
Besides creating CRITs all around the country, the CRIT system and the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM) signed an agreement in 2000 creating two bachelors-degree programs training professionals to work with children at the CRITs, and created the Instituto Teletón de Estudios Superiores (ITESUR) (located next to the first CRIT constructed). ITESUR is the only university in Mexico that grants degrees in occupational and physical therapy. In 2012 it was inaugurated in State of Mexico the Centro Autismo Teletón (CAT) which will help children with autism.
From 1997 to 2004, Mexican actress and pop star Lucero was involved in every Teleton as the main spokesperson for most of the broadcast, alongside different news anchor and host of other Televisa programs. In 2003, a scandal involving security guards and the press made her to have her role been downplayed, and other Televisa personalities have been included in the broadcast.
While the main reason of the Teleton is to provide help with the rehabilitation of children that suffer of different brain and mobility discapacities, in 2009 Teletón expanded the objectives to provide help in the treatment of children diagnosed with cancer, hence another event was conceived, Pelonton, consisting of the people donating locks of hair in order to create wigs for those children that suffered loss hair due to cancer treatment. In 2013 it was inaugurated the first oncology children's hospital in Latin America, named Hospital Infantil Teletón de Oncología or HITO in the city of Querétaro.
Teletón, Spanish for telethon, may refer to:
- Teletón (Mexico), an annual Mexican telethon
- Teletón (Chile), an annual Chilean telethon
Teletón is a charity event held in Chile on a yearly basis since 1978. It is usually held during the first week of December, unless a political election occurs at the same time. The major Chilean television networks hold a 27-hour transmission, to raise funds to help children with developmental disabilities (most commonly cerebral palsy) treated at Instituto de Rehabilitación Infantil ("Infant Rehabilitation Institute") centers of the Fundación Teletón.
Since the first telethon, over US$286 million has been raised, and 13 rehabilitation centers have been built in the cities of Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, Calama, Copiapó, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Santiago, Talca, Concepción, Temuco, Puerto Montt and Coyhaique. Currently, one new center for the city of Valdivia is under construction.
During the annual event, local and worldwide stars participate in live events across the country. Teletón has been hosted by television personality Mario Kreutzberger, best known by his stage name Don Francisco, since the first event, aired in 1978. Each year, a poster child is elected to become the face of the charity.
With the exception of the initial Teletón in 1978, each year's goal is set to be exactly the total amount raised in the previous event, in the spirit of increasing the funds available to the Foundation to account for increased inflation and overall maintenance costs. Up until now, the goal has been reached and surpassed on all Teletón versions with the exception of 1995's, were the final account was roughly 12% short of that year's goal.
In Chile, the transmission of Teletón is an event of national unity and, proportionately, the most widely watched telethon in the world.