An emotional Mary Tyler Moore thanked broadcasters for honoring her with the NAB Distinguished Service Award. She also praised radio and TV stations for their on-air support of her personal charity, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). It was a two-way love fest at the NAB Radio show, with attendees giving the actress a long and boisterous standing ovation.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had such a wonderful tribute,” Moore said as she took the stage after a video that reviewed her career and included reminiscences from such former colleagues as Dick Van Dyke and Ed Asner, not to mention a representative of JDRF. She noted that the organization had gone from collecting a few hundred thousand dollars for research to contributing over $2 billion since Moore joined the organization as International Chairman and its most public spokesperson.
Moore, who has herself lived with diabetes for decades, thanked broadcasters for their help in delivering the message of hope for JDRF. She’s hopeful that a cure is now within reach.
“After 40 years, it is now, of living with Type One Diabetes, I am quite ready,” she said.
