Last Week’s Lock-Up Raises Thousands of Dollars for MDA

Doing hard time turns into easy money for MDA.

Last Wednesday, I was placed "under arrest" by the MDA as part of their annual Lock-Up. It was rough. I sat upstairs at Ri Ra, ate free hot wings, fries, and chicken tenders, while enjoying unlimited soft drinks and water. It certainly set me straight.

Alright, I guess the argument could be made that actual inmates in real prison have it rougher than I did. I didn't have to worry about being sold for a carton of smokes or being stabbed in the kidney with a whittled toothbrush. I did however bite my tongue while scarfing down hot wings, so it wasn't a walk in the park by any means.

The concept behind the Lock-Up is simple, show up at whatever pre-determined location they select, hang out for an hour and call as many people as you can and ask them to give you "bail money" that will be turned over as a donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Several local business people participated with the goal being to raise $60,000 by the end of the day. When all was said and done, that goal was reached and then some as a grand total of $63,698 in bail money was collected.

As you can imagine, treating patients with any form of muscular dystrophy isn't cheap. Here's a quick rundown of a few of the costs.

• $30 Flu shot
• $70 One minute of research
• $100 One support group session
• $150 respiratory or speech therapy consultation
• $300 Professional fees related to initial diagnostic work-up at an MDA clinic
• $500 Annual repairs of durable medical equipment
• $800 Week at MDA summer camp for one child

Thanks to everyone who posted bail for one of the prisoners! If you didn't get a chance to donate during the lock-up, don't forget the annual telethon will be taking place Labor Day weekend, and you can always make a secure donation any time of year through the MDA website.