2008 Chilean telethon

Chilean Telethon's logo
Inauguration of the 2008 telethon with the initial goal displayed

The 2008 Chilean telethon was the 22nd edition of the solidarity event in Chile, produced on 28 and 29 November 2008, which sought to raise funds for the rehabilitation of children with mobility problems.

The event, transmitted on Chilean TV channels grouped into ANATEL, began at 2200 on 28 November at the Teatro Teletón, from which most of the event was transmitted. There were also links to subsidiary events throughout the country. As in the previous 13 years, the closing ceremony of Telethon 2008 took place at the National Stadium of Chile. This ceremony started at 2200 on the next day and took the form of a great show in which Chilean and international artists participated.

The official slogan of this campaign was "Thanks to you, we can continue" and the focus was on commemorating the 30th anniversary of the first telethon, held in 1978. In this edition Catalina Aranda was chosen as the poster girl.

With nearly 29 hours of uninterrupted transmission, ending at 0251 on 30 November, it became the longest version in the history of the Telethon. The final amount raised was CL$ 22,533,294,849 (approx. US$39 million), almost 70% above the original goal of CL$13,255,231,970, making it the most successful Telethon since 1994. Around $8,000,000,000 was collected in only 7 hours.

During the campaign, Luis Haro set a new world record by playing tennis for more than 60 hours to support the cause.

It was the last Telethon under the first governorship of Michelle Bachelet.