Residents jailed in good fun for Muscular Dystrophy
Holiday Inn Express was transformed into an erstwhile jail Thursday as Warren County residents showed up in force in support of this year’s Muscular Dystrophy Lock-up. Participants had to make bail by soliciting donations from co-workers, friends and relatives in order to receive their pardon from “hanging judge” Ace Blackwater (also known as Harry M. Barnes, a old west re-enactor who made an appearance at this year’s event).
MDA program coordinator Elizabeth Jessee said the lock-up has been a very successful fund-raiser for the organization.
“Last year we raised over $30,000 and we expect to do the same this year,” she said.
Local residents who participated in the lock-up said the cause is one that is dear to their hearts.
“To me this is a great cause,” said Joyce Starkey. “A lot of people do not understand what muscular dystrophy is. This disease does run in my family and I have lost several family members. If people could just see the effects it does have, it would break their hearts, and it’s not just children, it’s adults also.”
First National Bank’s Brent Foster agreed.
“It’s a good cause,” he said. “And First National Bank has always been more than happy to come together as employees and raise money, and a lot of this money. In fact $500 of it came from the bank employees themselves,” he said of the “bail” that earned him his personal pardon.
Jessee said the local lock-up is especially important to Warren County.
“Actually with MDA, wherever we raise our funds that’s the county that it stays in,” she said. “So for this county this lock-up is very important. This helps to fund the services for all of the children and adults with muscular dystrophy in this area.”