a shameless plea
In a moment that straddles the fence between foolishness and faithfulness, I agreed to participate in the MDA’s annual Maplewood/Webster Lock-up to help “Jerry’s Kids®”.
With a history of civil disobedience, I don’t take ‘lock up’ lightly. In fact the thought of handcuffs makes my heart race. But when the call to participate this year came, I was thinking about my friend Graham. Graham is a gentle child in with a bright smile and a beloved dog (Carmel) who comes to worship with us every week. Graham has been spending a lot of time at doctors’ offices lately and using his wheelchair more often. Although he does not have Muscular Dystrophy, he too struggles with neurons that won’t do what he needs them to do. Graham’s family introduced me to words like ‘mitochondrial’ and first hand accounts of the gauntlet we call our health care system. Research into Muscular Dystrophy is not providing a quick fix, but the research does have the potential to help Graham and kids like Graham, kids that I might never known if Graham hadn’t shown me.
Still, in the interest of full disclosure I should point out that I have been avoiding this impending reality for several weeks. After agreeing to participate, I have received weekly phone calls from a ‘coach’ to help me prepare. But at best I’ve been plodding and increasingly short with my ‘coach’. I did set up the “participant page” but couldn’t bring myself to send out the requested emails. This morning I woke up thinking of an escape route. I confess that I have an abiding distaste for Jerry Lewis and the telethon. Perhaps it’s a style issue, perhaps my own discomfort with disability, but I’ve always sensed a bit of charlatan. Maybe this was my opportunity to bolt. With the help of my friend Google, I did a little sleuthing. While the MDA may earn a high grade for cheesy, that may be because they are not spending the store on marketing. With room for improvement, the MDA gets an A- from the American Institute of Philanthropy, making the list of “top-rated charities” and coming in well ahead of the AARP. Guilty of bad taste maybe, but undeniably committed to the advancement of medical research on behalf of vulnerable children.
The scheduled ‘lock up’ is on Tuesday morning (July 31st) – right in the middle of our Peace Trail week with a yard full of children! - unless, of course, I raise the bail ($1000) ahead of time. Here’s where you, the reader, come in. This is a shameless plea for money. Your donation not only keeps me out of ‘lock up’ but (more importantly!) helps MDA continue the important research on behalf of children. You can donate online at my “participant page”. You can also send checks, money orders, and nail files the old fashioned way (with stamps).
Meanwhile, I am grateful that I don’t need Jerry’s kids. I have Graham.
