The Muscular Dystrophy Association hosted the annual Santa Monica Lock-Up February 24,to raise money to benefit people suffering from neuromuscular diseases.
Business people of Santa Monica donated their time to be “arrested” for the Lock-Up. Prior to the event, the jailbirds contacted friends, family, and co-workers to raise money in order to “post their bail.”
Arrestees were taken to the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. on the Santa Monica Pier, where they turned in their pre-raised bail of $1,200. Each donation helps the local chapter of the MDA sponsor a single child for an entire year by paying for support groups, clinic visits, and, of course MDA’s annual summer camp. Jailbirds from the Santa Monica business community came together to raise almost $13,000 to support families in need.
Jailbirds enjoyed visiting with local MDA families, Sarah and Lucas Cook and James Mosely. Honda and Acura of Thousand Oaks supplied “luxury paddywagons” and volunteers to “arrest” each Santa Monica jailbird. Top bailraisers included Clarence Crites from the Church of the Nazarene, Paul Hortobagyi from the Le Merigot Hotel, and Mary Ann Powell from Pacific Park.
MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat 43 neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services and far-reaching professional and public health education. Along with MDA’s funding of research, MDA maintains about 230 clinics nationwide. MDA’s programs are funding almost entirely by individual private contributors.
For more information about the Santa Monica Lock-Up or any other MDA programs please contact Erin Kelly in the Los Angeles office at 310.390.6802 or ekelly@mdausa.org
Staff Report, Santa Monica Mirror
