The event that started it all!

It's hard to believe it's been 29 years since we aired our first Telethon from the Osmond Studios in Orem, Utah. The date was May 29, 1983 and the mission was, as is today, to help as many kids as possible get better.

The stories shared, enthusiasm and memorable performances resulted in a bang: more than $4.7 million raised for our then-22 member hospitals. It was only the start, but what a fun one it was! Merlin Olsen, Marie Osmond, John Schneider and Marilyn McCoo helped ring in that first fundraising total, which you can see in this vintage video clip.

The tradition continues this weekend, with 55 markets airing their Telethon over the course of 3 days. We've been lucky to preview some of the segments, and we gaurantee you'll come away with some very clear stories of how your funds have helped families across North America and right in your back yard. CMN Hospitals co-founders Marie Osmond and John Schneider are back, as are a slew of other celebrity names.

We wouldn't be 170 hospitals-strong and more than $4 billion raised if it wasn't for that first Telethon. We hope you can tune in this weekend and watch some hope-and-healing funds in action.