Lisa Carnley is managing editor of the Lampasas Dispatch Record. My sister almost had a heart attack. I woke her out of a sound sleep when I called her at 11 a.m. last week. She lives in Alaska, where the time is three hours behind us.

Of course, it didn’t help when the first words out of my mouth were, “I’ve been arrested. I need bail money.”

I tried to explain, but because she was nearly hyper-ventilating she didn’t hear me at first.

It was all for a good cause, though. I was one of a number of Lampasans who volunteered to be “jailed for Jerry’s Kids” in the annual event to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

It truly is a community effort. I found myself being “arrested” by a local firefighter and hauled to the holding cell. Actually, we had nice accommodations in the beautiful Holiday Inn Express on Central Texas Expressway.

Organizers made sure that all participants were comfortable, had plenty to drink and good snacks, as well as lunch.

Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Andrew Garcia set the “bail,” and jailbirds had their photograph taken behind bars wearing black-and-white stripes.

Then we got to work. I began to scroll through my cell phone seeking numbers I could call to beg for bail money, and my sister happened to be the first one. And as usual, she was very generous.

After I scared the tar out of her, I used a different opening line with others I called.

Most of the people I phoned were very generous. Five dollars here, 20 dollars there, and it added up quickly.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that I started my fund-raising campaign online several months back. That gave me a good headstart. I also had a jar out at a local business and managed to collect quite a bit that way.

Only one person I called turned me down, and that’s because she already had been approached by several others.

Another I called said she had been asked already, but she gave me a small donation anyway.

We have a lot of very generous people in Lampasas, and that, combined with how well organized this event is, made for an interesting morning.

There were prize giveaways from youth T-shirts to jar openers and key chains. Everytime someone received another $50 pledge or donation, they rang a cowbell, and a prize basket would come to their table.

And after turning money in, “law breakers” didn’t leave empty-handed, either.

First, cashiers rang a bell to get everyone’s attention, then they announced the total of funds raised. Then T-shirts, coffee mugs and plaques were presented, and volunteers were given a ride back to their place of business.

All in all, it made for an interesting way to raise funds. And thanks to the generosity of my friends, co-workers and family, I got very near my goal. That is amazing because there were probably 100 people raising funds for MDA, and as small a community as this is, many who were asked had already given -- some more than once.

I’ve always thought Lampasas is a caring community, and the residents proved me right again last Thursday.