Community Corner
Novato Community Leaders Serve 'Hard Time' to Help MDA
"Novato Lock-Up" raised more than $14,000.
More than 100 local business and civic leaders gathered in Novato today to do hard time.
It didn't last long though, and by the time it was all over, the "Novato Lock-Up" raised more than $14,000 in support a respected nonprofit group.
The Hopmonk Tavern hosted the event benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The "inmates" at today's event needed to get friends and family to post $1,600 "bail" to buy them freedom.
The bail money went directly to a fund benefiting families in greater Marin County affected by MDA.
Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The event will also help send Marin-area youths with muscle diseases to an MDA summer camp in Occidental.
More than 90 Marin County families are affected by Neuromuscular illnesses, MDA spokeswoman Ashley Merolla said.
"I think it was an incredibly successful event in that Novato community leaders were able to rally together to raise more than $14,000 for local families," Merolla said.
"I think it brought awareness to the community of Novato about muscle disease."
MDA is a nonprofit health group dedicated to finding a cure for neuromuscular diseases and providing care for those suffering from these illnesses and their families.
Neuromuscular diseases include dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related muscle illnesses.
The MDA has a network of 200 hospital-affiliated clinics, of which 38 are designated MDA/ALS centers that treat neuromuscular illnesses.
For more information or to contribute to the MDA please visit http://mda.org/.
