'Jailed' Imperial Valley Leaders Raise Some $25K For MDA

Imperial Valley business and civic leaders spent Wednesday, Dec. 17 behind bars; raising more than $25,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. There were Joined by local families served by the MDA.

Forty of the area’s top Jailbirds gathered at Johnny Carino’s Italian Restaurant in El Centro from 10:00 a.m. – 2 p.m. to benefit the MDA’s Annual Lock-Up Fundraiser.

Community leaders from across Imperial Valley donned black and white stripes for mugshots and reached out to friends and business associates in the hopes of earning donations to post “bail” and get released.

It’s all part of an annual fun and philanthropic effort to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Among this year’s top bail-raisers were representatives from Margaret Hedrick Elementary School, Vessey and Company, Gateway Church, and Bill Polkinhorn, Inc. Ron Tharpe of Holly Sugar Corporation earned the title of Top Bail-Raiser. However every Jailbird in attendance was successful in raising funds that will assist in sending the children of local MDA families to the annual MDA Summer Camp in 2015.

All donations towards this event will stay in San Diego and Imperial Counties to benefit those affected by any of 43 neuromuscular diseases. MDA uses the funds collected to fulfill our threefold mission of research, program services, and education.

Seventy-seven cents of every dollar raised is spent towards this mission. Specifically, funds raised will help our patients by providing medical services, support groups, research, summer camp for children ages 6-17 at Camp Cuyamaca, a muscle disease clinic at Rady Children’s Hospital and financial assistance with repairs to wheelchairs and leg braces.

Johnny Carino’s not only graciously donated the venue, food and drink for this annual fundraiser, but signed on as an official sponsor for the 2015 MDA mobiles campaign to support the MDA mission.

Hundreds of families locally, and more than a million nationwide, are living with progressive muscle diseases.

Lock-Ups help MDA fund research projects worldwide; operate some 200 hospital-affiliated clinics; assist families in locating and repairing critically needed medical equipment; run disease-specific support groups; sponsor annual weeklong summer camp sessions for thousands of youngsters; and advocate for the needs of the families MDA serves.

The MDA does not receive any government funding. We rely solely on businesses, programs and events such as the Annual Lock-Up with annual funding.

For more information, please contact Shannon Colette Lee, Fundraising Coordinator of MDA San Diego and Imperial Counties, at 858-492-9792 or sLee@mdausa.org. Event updates can also be found at www.facebook.com/mdasandiegoimperialvalley.

About MDA

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is the world’s leading nonprofit health agency dedicated to finding treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular diseases. It does so by funding worldwide research; by providing comprehensive health care services and support to MDA families nationwide; and by rallying communities to fight back through advocacy, fundraising and local engagement. Visit mda.org and follow us at facebook.com/MDAnational and @MDAnews.

-MDA-

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