Sept. 18, 2008

Chicago, Ill. - There are many celebratory customs associated with Labor Day: a cook-out, an excuse to go shopping, taking in a baseball game or even simply enjoying the last day before school begins.

For the Flames men's gymnastic program, UIC has taken to their own tradition, volunteering for the annual Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon.

As the team members fielded phone calls and collected pledges for the MDA, Olympic Gold medalists Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci hosted the WGN superstation broadcast, so a thrilling row of back flip-flops did not seem out of place. One individual then donated to the cause because of the impressive display of gymnastics by the Flames.

The 43rd annual telethon raised over a record-breaking 65 million in funds to assist with research to combat the disease and those already afflicted, including fitting children with braces and sending them to MDA summer camps.