Pete's staffer dons kilt in honor of meeting goal

Friday, March 18, 2011
Pete's employee Larry Sinclair shows off his kilt -- worn in honor of meeting his MDA shamrock selling goal. Shamrocks are sold at convenience stores around the nation to help raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The drive here ended Thursday.(Ruth Campbell/Tribune)

In a last push to help gather more contributions for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Larry Sinclair promised to wear a kilt if the Pete's convenience store he works at on National Avenue and Sixth Street sold all of its shamrocks.

People buy a paper shamrock for $1 each and write their names in the blank. The shamrocks are then displayed at each store.

The shamrock program is now in its 24th year. Shamrocks Against Dystrophy, the nation's largest charitable campaign associated with St. Patrick's Day, supports MDA's programs of worldwide research, life-enhancing services and vital education, the MDA website said. MDA funds nearly 400 research projects, maintains 225 hospital-affiliated MDA clinics, offers summer camps for youngsters with neuromuscular diseases, and assists with purchase of wheelchairs, leg braces and communication devices, the site said.

Pete's Manager Amanda Thron said the drive started Feb. 14 and ended March 17. Sinclair's drive to sell all the shamrocks possible was conducted this past weekend.

Sinclair has lived in Fort Scott for almost four years and worked at Pete's for a year and a half. He purchased his kilt from someone at an Irish festival in Dallas, Texas. He had lived in nearby Arlington for about 10 years. He said he only wears the kilt once a year on St. Patrick's Day.

He was not surprised he was able to gather that much money that fast. "Seeing as how I like to give my customers a hard time. I'm not surprised," he said. He added that anything that helps kids is a good cause.

In addition to the shamrock drive, Thron said she also participated in the MDA lock-up Jan. 27 at the Fort Scott Inn to help raise funds for the charity.