Why Jerry Lewis is a better man than me.

Comedian Jerry Lewis' annual Labor Day telethon raised $54.9 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and more than a $1 million more for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Lewis, 79, who has been hosting the Labor Day MDA telethon for years, decided to give money to the victims of the deadly hurricane after watching news reports from the area.

The donations for Katrina's victims will be sent to the Salvation Army in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama where tens of thousands of people have died and at least that many are homeless and without basic necessities.

'I'm overjoyed we were able to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina and at the same time continue our 40-year tradition of helping my kids,' Lewis said after the two-day telethon was over.

The totals for MDA were down $4.5 million as compared to last year but that was expected. Many Americans had just given substantial funds to help victims of Katrina and those in the affected areas were unlikely to be able to even watch the broadcast.

Still, this marked only the third time in the 40 year history of Lewis' MDA telethon that the total money raised was lower than the year before.