Newtown Woman ‘Locked Up’ For MDA Fundraiser

by tanjua damon

A Newtown woman found herself in jail Thursday, not because she did something wrong, but because she did something good. Holly Troccolla raised money for muscular dystrophy.

Ms Troccolla, a registered nurse at a Datahr group home in Danbury, was “arrested” by Muscular Dystrophy Association volunteers and hauled off to a lockup at the Danbury Hilton, where she had to try to raise $1,500 in bail to get out of jail. She was successful in raising $650 for the cause.

“I was happy that I was asked and that someone put my name in,” she said. “Take a look around and see how fortunate you are and see the people who are out there in need. I probably raised enough for a special needs wheel chair.”

Just who submitted Ms Troccolla’s name may never be known. “I asked and was told the person is in the [MDA] witness protection program,” she said.

Lockup is a national annual fundraiser run by MDA. The Danbury Hilton has been host to the local district’s efforts for three years, according to MDA District Director Michelle Clements. All the money raised at the “lockup” will stay in Connecticut to help families dealing with muscular dystrophy.

Nationally, this particular fundraiser will provide $42 million to MDA, Ms Clements said. The district serving the Fairfield County area will raise $200,000 to $250,000. The district deals with a budget around $710,000, serving some 850 families with muscular dystrophy, she said. There will be 15 lockups held throughout the local district that includes Fairfield County and five New York Counties.

About 80 people were locked up at the Hilton on Thursday, Ms Clements said. Some came with their $1,500 bail pre-raised, while others spent time on the telephone trying to get people to help spring them from jail. Each year people who were jailed are asked to nominate someone for the next year’s lockup.

There are 43 diseases associated with muscular dystrophy, including Lou Gehrig’s, which affects adults in their 30s to 50s, and duchenne, which is fatal to young boys, according to Ms Clements. The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon can be viewed on September 3 and 4 on Hartford WFSB Channel 3 beginning at 9 pm.