Muscular Dystrophy Association Gets $1M From Jiffy Lube Fundraiser

Jiffy Lube International has raised more than $1 million dollars in a campaign to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The company holds more than 2,000 franchised oil change service centers and has partnered with MDA for the fourth year to support children and adults who suffer from muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other muscle-debilitating diseases.

The fourth annual campaign, dubbed Muscle Up!, lasted five weeks. The funding will be used to help patients live longer and grow stronger. “Each day, kids and adults with neuromuscular diseases are losing their ability to do everyday things like walking, playing, hugging, talking, and even breathing. But Jiffy Lube customers, employees, and franchise owners in hometowns across America are working hard to change that,” MDA President and CEO Steven M. Derks said in a press release.

“Because of their generosity and enthusiasm to ‘Muscle Up’ for MDA, every dollar that was donated this summer will help empower our families with critical resources and support to live a life without limits,” Derks said.

During the campaign, drivers at local Jiffy Lube service centers were invited to donate $3 to MDA. People who donated were given a savings book with more than $100 in savings from Jiffy Lube and coupons from national retailers including Buca di Beppo, Aeropostale, Brookstone and Famous Footwear.

The Muscle Up! campaign aims to explain the similarities between the muscular system of the body and the engine structure of a vehicle, since both of them need care and maintenance to optimize their performance and ensure safety and comfort.

In addition to raising funds, the franchisees also raised awareness for muscle-debilitating diseases with Muscle Up! kick-off events and customer appreciation days, with many MDA families attending.

Local service center employees and Jiffy Lube International staff members attended as well numerous barrier-free MDA summer camps, during which they spent time with the campers and learned about the importance of the cause. Jiffy Lube International President Steven Ledbetter also had a chance to experience “Awesome Adventures” at an MDA summer camp in Wisconsin with MDA National Goodwill Ambassador Reagan Imhoff, age 10.

Ledbetter treated Reagan and her friends to a fun-filled day of fishing, arts and crafts, and other camp fun. “This summer I was fortunate enough to be able to experience the magic of MDA summer camp with a very special young lady,” said Ledbetter. “It was amazing to see firsthand how funds raised through Muscle Up! help MDA provide accessible summer camps for kids like Reagan, who are courageously fighting muscle disease. I am extremely proud of Jiffy Lube franchisees, service center employees, and our customers who have gone above and beyond to make a difference in the communities where we live and work.”

The annual Muscle Up! campaign has been in place since 2012, and Jiffy Lube has  raised over $4.5 million nationally for muscular dystrophy. MDA is the leading nonprofit health agency in the world focused on saving and improving the lives of people with muscle disease such as muscular dystrophy, ALS, and other neuromuscular diseases. The funds raised are used for research about neuromuscular disease, and to provide care for children and adults.