On March 4 and 5, children from Childhaven Preschool in Brentwood were all giggles and cheers as they participated in the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s annual Hop-a-Thon benefiting “Jerry’s Kids” suffering from neuromuscular disease. Childhaven has been participating in the program for the past 10 years and is committed to spreading disability awareness and community acceptance.

Hop-a-Thon is part of MDA’s national disability awareness initiative organized by childcare centers and schools across the nation. The Hop-a-Thon curriculum, provided free-of-charge by MDA, includes five lesson plans focused on educating children about people living with disabilities.

Additionally, children and their parents collect pledges and donations based on the number of hops each child completes during a two-minute period.

Proceeds from the event will fund neuromuscular research, provide support for adults and children with neuromuscular disease and give MDA’s young clients the opportunity to attend MDA Summer Camp at Camp Westminster Woods in Occidental, Calif.

The efforts of the students from Childhaven Preschool are shared by thousands of other children participating in the East Bay.

MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat neuromuscular disease through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services and far-reaching professional and public health education.

In addition to funding groundbreaking research, MDA maintains more than 230 clinics nationwide, including clinics at UCSF and the Stanford Medical Center.

– Contributed by Laura Firpo