Local grocers fight muscular dystrophy

The goal was $38,000. That was how much Hitchcock’s pledged to raise for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). And according to consumer relations spokesperson Kathy Josleyn, the company is going to reach its goal.

The local food market chain works year-round to fundraise for MDA and on Friday it is hosting a company-wide golf tournament in which, Josleyn said, mainly representatives from the store’s vendors will compete. Their entry fees are donated to the cause.

According to its website, “MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research.”

As defined by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, muscular dystrophy “is a group of inherited disorders that involve muscle weakness and loss of muscle tissue, which get worse over time.”

The disease can vary from causing minimal disability to being fatal, and onset can occur in childhood or adulthood.

Josleyn explained that the golf tournament is just one of many yearly events the company puts on to raise money for MDA. Stores participate in several ongoing fundraisers like selling shamrocks and holding raffles as well as individual locations holding their own charity events.

The shamrocks, as explained on the Hitchcock’s website, are representative of being the power formed by the three heart-shaped leaves, which stand for “my heart, your heart, and MDA’s heart.”

The store that raised the most this year is located in East Palatka. That branch’s store director, Joann Vandyke, said cookouts, car washes and bake-offs all contributed to the $12,500 the store brought in for MDA.

She credited its success to teamwork, saying it was not just the employees but that customers got really involved as well.

“They were a great help – they were just as excited as we were,” she said.

The golf tournament will be held at Ironwood Golf Course in Gainesville, and based on the number of participants signed up, Josleyn confirmed that when all is said and done, Hitchcock’s will have met its MDA fundraising goal for the year.