Telethon was a 24 hour live television show devoted to raising money for a charity. It started in 1975 when it raised a bit over half a million dollars for St John Ambulance. In 1981 it raised over 5 million dollars for disability charities.
The show attracted some pretty big television stars from New Zealand and overseas - including the likes of Basil Brush and Lauren Bacall.
The man who helped make it all happen is Don Hutchings - the executive producer of the first Telethons, who looks back on making the show.
