I'm going to jail.

On May 14, I'll join other local residents in a "lockup" at Bob's Burgers and Brews on behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The purpose, of course, is to raise "bail" money, set at $1,600, from my friends and associates as donations to MDA.

$1,600 will send two kids to summer camp at Camp Waskowitz in North Bend. That sounds like a worthwhile goal. $2,000 will buy a wheelchair, leg braces or communication device for someone suffering from MD. $5,100 pays for an hour of MDA's research, seeking treatment and cures for neuromuscular diseases.

Those are big amounts, but individual donors making modest contributions can also have a meaningful impact. And every donation adds up to more hope for MD patients and their families.

You may not realize-I know I didn't before I began to research-that MDA represents and supports those who are challenged by more than 40 different diseases ranging from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, to Myasthenia Gravis. All these conditions are linked to the neurological and muscular systems, and a cure for one might spur a cure for several more.

Locally, 90 percent of every dollar MDA spends goes to research, health care services and education. More than 2,000 western Washington area families benefit from MDA's services, which include clinic visits, wheelchairs, summer camp and support groups.

So, this is an open invitation to give a little to help so many. You can donate to MDA directly via the organization's Web site, www.mda.org. Or you can contact the local chapter, located in Everett, at (425) 259-4078 or by e-mail at everettdistrict@mdausa.org.

If you'd like to track my bail-raising progress and contribute to the local campaign, visit my lockup page at https://www.joinmda.org/2009marysvilletulaliplockupwa/editor.

I'm going to jail "for good."

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