MDA's Most Wanted
By Tom Hopkins

As you can see by my "before" and "after" pictures, I exceeded my goal of $1,200 and went ahead as promised with the haircut.
Recently, the MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) put the word out that I was going to be arrested and locked up "for good." This of course, is part of their annual "Lock-Up" campaign to raise money and awareness to assist with continued research into the causes and cures for 43 neuromuscular diseases.

My lock-up date was set for March 22, 2005 and I had about six weeks to try and raise my bail of $600, which was set by the MDA ahead of time. At first, I struggled with a plan to attack my fundraising efforts; but before long, things started coming together. First I would ask my family and closest friends to donate and then move on to my immediate coworkers. Next, would be the Bond Center, my close friends at the Crooks Road facility, and finally a few other close business associates.

I have to admit that things started off very slow and I was leery that I may not even reach my "bail" goal of $600. With just over three weeks left, I needed to change gears and look at "marketing" my efforts a little differently. I went home from work one day and tried to come up with my gimmick to increase my fundraising. It didn't take too long and I came up with an idea that I thought would work, but I would need a loftier goal than $600.

As I sat in the office the next morning, I decided to type a brief email and send it out to my coworkers at the Bond Center to see what kind of response it would generate. I increased my bail to a personal goal of $1,200 (double the original amount requested) and added my gimmick - "If I can raise double what the MDA requested, I would shave my head!"

I have to admit, it was a proposition that made me a little nervous at first, but if I wanted to maximize the fundraising potential, I knew that it would be necessary. So I hit "send" and away my request went. Within a few moments of sending my message, I received two phone calls to clarify that exactly what was sent was true, and within an hour the funds were rolling in. What a strategy! Since it was working, I decided to take that same approach with all the other friends, family members and business associates who I had previously contacted. The more funds I raised, the more comfortable I became with the decision to cut my hair for MDA.

As you can see by my "before" and "after" pictures, I exceeded my goal of $1,200 and went ahead as promised with the haircut. Barb Bishop, owner of Creations Salon and Spa in Rochester Hills (2094 W. Auburn Rd., 248-853-1766) provided her expertise in giving me my new look. Her associate Deanna D'Amico distributed door prizes, cards for half-priced haircuts, and information on all of the services offered at Creations.

At the end of the day, the donations from all of the wonderful and generous people with whom I have the privilege of being associated totaled $2,300. That's nearly four times the original bail amount the MDA was looking for. With that amount, three children will have the opportunity to attend camp this summer, with money left over for research. I am so glad that I know so many people who would pay money to see me get my hair cut. Had I known that sooner, I would've been charging them all along.

Thank you once again to all of you who supported this effort. It would not have been possible without your generosity.