A surprising statement . . . especially if not for a few well-placed quotation marks. But, I got your attention and hope all things are good with you.

It's true, but not as bad as it sounds. I'm spending October 20 in "jail" to help the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In the next few weeks, I'm trying to raise "bail". I'm asking for your help.

I don't personally know anyone with Muscular Dystrophy (perhaps you do), but I know that the MDA provides much needed life-changing services to those who suffer from neuromuscular disease. I was nominated to be a "Jailbird" in my community. It sounded like a fun way to help raise donations for a good cause, so here I am. I will be hustled off to "jail" on Wednesday, October 20.

Please visit my SECURE personal MDA web page and help "bail me out". You can simply click on this link, or copy and paste the URL below into your web browser:

https://www.joinmda.org/westchester10/tneiheisel


Your TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation of ANY AMOUNT will be greatly appreciated! The MDA page is completely secure, and you will get a confirmation email of your contribution.

Check out the photo of my golden retriever Riley (as a puppy) behind bars! He's my partner in crime.

Play the video of the Jailbird Network News (relatively short, kind of corny, but creative).

Thanks in advance for your support of MDA! You will help make a difference in someone's life.

Best regards,

Tom Neiheisel
aka "Tom N", "nextoy"

PS: Please let me know if you have any questions.

to TIG Tom. Some of us were talking about this the other day in chat when you sent out the emails. It's certainly a great cause and I hope you can make bail.

Thanks, Shawn. Happy to be TIG member. Thanks to Tigerham for pointing me toward a post that brings together some of the true stories of Kenner days that I had previously posted in the RS forums.

As for my OT post regarding my volunteer collection efforts for Muscular Dystrophy, I hope I didn't offend anyone by posting here, nor if you received an email from having contacted me directly previously. I realize that we all get deluged with requests for donations to very worthy charities, and that we cannot give to all. I personally prefer to support the efforts of someone I know, rather than reply to a piece in the mail from a charity in general (many never heard of). I also know that there are many caring individuals in the collecting community, and some of you have already donated via my MDA web page. I was nominated and recruited for this effort because of my many contacts, be they family, friends, neighbors, business associates (I still do market research in the toy industry), and the ever-growing collector community. I am trying to run a low-key campaign.

HOWEVER, my local MDA office has told me that I am currently in 2nd place by less than $200! With only 1 week to go, I am hoping to pass this other guy by and be declared the #1 volunteer of this campaign! At our "jail break" or "release" on October 20, I already plan to mention the Star Wars collecting community as a major contributor to my efforts.

If anyone reading this can help push me over the top, please use the link below (or paste in browser) to visit my secure MDA webpage. NO AMOUNT IS TOO SMALL! Whether it's $5, $10, or whatever you feel comfortable with - you are helping those fighting neuromuscular disease.

https://www.joinmda.org/westchester10/tneiheisel

My sincere thanks to all who donate!

Hello Tom and welcome to the forum! I didn't release you had joined until now. Hopefully the jail cell will provide you with a PC so you can browse our great forum. There's a great community spirt here so hopefully you might be a able to make a few more friends and squeeze a few more $$ into your charity pot.

Your getting close now to your target so hopefully you can do it!

Thanks, Craig for this and for your donation to MDA. And thanks to the following in the collector community who have made a generous donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Assn. to aid my "bail" effort so far: Shawn K, Henry S, Lee G, Tom D, Marty N, Deon P, Adam B, and Jorge W.

I am now within $100 of posting my "bail" by Wednesday, October 20. More importantly, I am in a neck and neck race with one other volunteer "jailbird" to be the #1 bail collector. He was WAY ahead of me until a few days ago, and now thanks to TIG members and others, it's a horserace! Now I want to come in first-place.

So, if you can spare $5, $10 or whatever you feel comfortable with, I'd really appreciate your support. MDA and those suffering from neuromuscular disease will as well.

https://www.joinmda.org/westchester10/tneiheisel

I also want to thank the TIG Moderators for allowing my OT post here. The same post at RS Forums was taken down, despite being posted in the OT section where pretty much anything goes. THANKS, TIG!

First off, welcome to Tig, Tom. Hope you enjoy yourself here.

For a great cause like this, I'm more than happy to help out and it looks like you just made bail.

Hey Chris,

Thanks very much for your contribution to MDA, taking my bail past the $1,600 mark!