Don Francisco kicks off the 2026 Telethon and says he hopes to accompany the charity campaign for half a century: "I'm only two short"

Under the slogan “join what unites us,” and with the challenge of surpassing the goal of $44,253,268,546, Mario Kreutzberger, Don Francisco, kicked off this Friday night the 27 hours of the Teletón. After greeting President José Antonio Kast, the President of the Senate, Paulina Núñez; First Lady María Pía Adriasola, and the rest of the authorities present, the host began the broadcast by highlighting the “very special gift” from the National Congress and the State of Chile to the solidarity campaign. “Last Thursday, October 29, the President of the Republic enacted the law establishing that the first Saturday of November would be National Teletón Day, and the following day, Sunday, National Family Gathering Day. It is a beautiful event! This is something that Chile has built,” he said. He then stated that from now on this will be “our own weekend of thanksgiving, of solidarity, and the following day of the union of families,” adding that this also brings a tremendous responsibility and that the best way to celebrate it is to surpass this year's fundraising goal. In his remarks from the Teletón Theater, Don Francisco also said that he is personally very happy to “be able to be here this year, after 48 years.” “And I would very much like to be here next year, and if I can, even more so the following one, because then I could fulfill one of my dreams: to accompany this campaign for half a century. I only have two Teletons left,” he noted. In the same way, he recalled the beginning of the campaign, when the rehabilitation foundation was operating “in an old house on Huérfanos Street, near here, where with great effort they were treating barely 5% of the children of Santiago who needed rehabilitation.” “We were coming from the consequences of polio, and when one saw that reality, one understood that we could not look the other way, something had to be done,” he recalled. He later detailed that “from that old house of 48 years ago to 16 institutes throughout Chile —the last one recently inaugurated in Ñuble— in 48 years, that's not bad, because today we serve, free of charge, from 0 to 24 years old, 97% of the country's disabled population.” However, he emphasized that “there is still a great deal left to do,” including a guest house in the same old house on Huérfanos Street to receive patients and their families who come from outside Santiago, and an even bigger task: inclusion. “Because it is not enough to rehabilitate people with disabilities. They must be able to study, work, develop, have the same opportunities that we all have, and we must ensure that the Labor Inclusion Law is truly fulfilled and that companies with more than 100 employees must take in at least 1%, one worker (with a disability),” he said. He pointed out that “for that, companies must prepare themselves, and so must people with disabilities who want to work. Because there are still barriers that are not in a sidewalk or a staircase. Those barriers are within ourselves.” “At Teletón we use it every day to rehabilitate, to give autonomy, to open new possibilities. But there is something that no technology can do for us: to look at the person next to us,” he argued. He then made a pointed call: “You then have the responsibility to make sure that today we surpass the goal. It will not be easy. We all know it will not be easy.” NEWSLETTER Culto Wednesday, AM Series, books, music and movies that everyone is talking about. The pop guide to enter with style into the conversations of the moment. By subscribing you are accepting the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policies of La Tercera.