Going to jail for charity

Some of Mat-Su's most "notorious" residents are volunteering their time in jail later this month. They are getting thrown in the slammer for a good reason, too.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 31, volunteers from around the Valley will be put in jail for the Muscular Dystrophy Association Lock-Up, an annual event.

They aren't going to Mat-Su Pre-Trial -- instead, they are going to Mat-Su Resort, where they won't be limited to a single jailhouse phone call -- they are allowed as many phone calls as they want in order to raise their $1,000 "bail."

The volunteers will be put behind bars for one hour -- hardly a lengthy sentence -- and during that time, they will use cell phones and airtime donated by ACS Wireless to round up some cash to get out of jail.

Organizers have indicated that no "Get Out of Jail Free" cards will be accepted, so raiding the Monopoly game is not necessary.

The money raised during the fund-raiser will stay locally, helping to send children to summer cmaps, provide clinical services and ultimately to help find a cure for neuromuscular disease.

All services provided by the MDA are without cost to the families. There are more than 250 Alaska families living with neuromuscular disease.

For more information about the event or to find out how you or your business can participate in the Lock-Up program, interested people may call Amanda Tew at the Alaska chapter of MDA at (800) 478-5683.

Communities in the Mat-Su Valley benefit every day from the work of volunteers.

Mostly, the work performed and the volunteers themselves remain out of the spotlight. They are faceless people who give their time and their talent each day, without expecting or receiving much recognition.

We want to change that. Is there a volunteer your nonprofit agency simply could not live without? Does one person make a big difference in your life every day, all without asking for anything in return? If so, please let us know.

We want to shed light on the efforts many of these unassuming people give every day to charities, nonprofit agencies, local organizations or even their neighbors.

In future issues of the Frontiersman, we will highlight some of these people and the work they perform that makes the Mat-Su Valley a great place to live.

To nominate a person to be highlighted, please e-mail the person's name, a contact number for them and for yourself, and a brief description of what makes the work they do important. E-mail submissions to editor@alaska.net, or mail them to the Frontiersman, 5751 E. Mayflower Ct., Wasilla, AK, 99654.