THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 28, 1996 TAG: 9604260207
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 34 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
State Del. Lionell Spruill Sr., Chesapeake General Hospital President Donald S. Buckley and others of Chesapeake's most upstanding citizens will be arrested, handcuffed, fingerprinted and thrown into jail Thursday.
It's not another scandal in high places. It's to support the American Heart Association.
Spruill, Buckley and other prominent Chesapeake residents, professionals and business people have volunteered to be ``arrested'' for the annual ``Cardiac Arrest'' fund-raiser, taking place Thursday at Locks Pointe Restaurant.
Every year, the association's fund-raising committee asks Chesapeake movers and shakers to volunteer to help raise funds for the heart fund, said Jimmy Reece, the chairman of this year's event.
Here's how it works: A top Chesapeake professional, politician, citizen or business person is ``arrested'' at his work place by an actual deputy from Chesapeake Sheriff John R. Newhart's office. The individual is actually handcuffed, fingerprinted, photographed and thrown into a mock jail on the Locks Pointe deck.
``Bail'' is set at $750. That money is raised by the jailbird's business colleagues, friends, neighbors and supporters until he or she is allowed to go free.
``We select people who are well known in the city,'' Reece said. ``We try to think of major business people, those in the public eye, or anyone who volunteered in the past. Overall, we try to find a high profile figure or someone from a high profile Chesapeake company. That way we are assured that people will come out to help raise the bail money.''
Those who will be ``arrested'' this Thursday are Spruill; Buckley; Tamra Wood of Signet Bank; Can-Do, the credit report-eating goat of Charlie Falk's Auto; John Canfield, senior vice president of Mitsubishi Chemical America; Dr. Charles Ashby with Cardiovascular Associates; Lou Haddad, president of Armada/Hoffler Construction; Mike Albertson, Holland District Ruritan of the Year; Dr. Howard Feldman; Dr. Marc J. Fink, podiatrist with Family Foot Care; Diana Brinn Humphries of Long and Foster Realty Co.; Becky Pulley with Farmers Insurance; David Grimm, chairman of the Chesapeake Division of the American Heart Association; Dan Batchelor, general manager of the Cavalier Hotel; Karen Gaskins of Womble Realty Co.; Joni DeSmet of the Lifestyle Fitness Center; Vernon Morris of Virginia Power; Robert Kinser, partner with Basnight, Wright, Kinser & Telfeyan law firm; Harry Morris, president of Morson, Inc.; Robert Riddle, president of Riddle Associates; Wynn Dixon of Chesapeake General Hospital; and Debbie Ritter of the Chesapeake City Planning Commission.
Once the ``prisoners'' are arrested and incarcerated, they have to stay in jail until all of their $750 bail money is raised, Reece said. And sometimes that doesn't necessarily mean ``freedom.''
``Even after they're released, if someone pitches in $10, they can get that person arrested again, and they'll have to raise their bail all over again,'' Reece said.
During the late afternoon ``court'' proceedings at the restaurant, Newhart will act as judge, complete with robes and powdered wig.
``He'll be there to pass sentence on people and throw them back in jail,'' Reece said. ``People who bail their friends out are usually supporters, colleagues, co-workers, neighbors and peers. It's really neat if we can arrest a Democrat and a Republican and then watch them throw each other back in jail. Last year I was thrown in jail, and if you make too much noise or even say the right thing, you get thrown in jail again. In fact, I had to wear an orange prison jump-suit. That was one of my conditions for release.''
During the 4:30-7 p.m. ``court proceedings'' at the Locks Pointe deck the public is invited to come out, eat dinner and watch the fund raising action, Reece said.
``It's a lot of fun to watch,'' he added. ``You can see a lot of city bigwigs land in jail.''
This year's goal is to raise $30,000. Last year's goal of $22,000 was exceeded by several thousand dollars, Reece said. by CNB