Chelsea firefighters raised $2,025 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association with a boot drive at the Chelsea Wal-Mart Aug. 1-2.

Their goal is to help send children to the nearby Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camp at Camp ASCCA in Jackson’s Gap.

“Usually every year our fire department wants to send several children to camp, and $800 will send a child to camp,” said Casey Ramey, MDA spokesperson.

Last year, the fire department raised $2,717 for the MDA. All the money the firefighters raise stays in the local area.

Children registered with the MDA are sent to the camp for free, and the funds raised help to make sure the MDA can continue to offer that privilege, Ramey said.

At the camp, each child is assigned a counselor for a one-on-one experience.

The money raised is also used to fund muscular dystrophy research grants and services for patients and their families, such as flu shots or support group services. Also, money can be used to pay for equipment, such as leg braces or wheelchairs.

The boot drive is a yearly tradition for the Chelsea Fire Department, Ramey said.

“The Chelsea Fire Department has been a valued sponsor of MDA for several years now,” she said.

Ramey said this past weekend was optimal for the boot drive because it was Alabama’s sales tax holiday.

Nationally, firefighters have been working with the MDA for more than 50 years.

“It is a partnership, and every year we just go along with this tradition,” Ramey said.