The Cape Coral Professional Fire Fighters Local 2424 held a boot drive on Saturday, so they could increase the amount of money they will donate to the Muscular Dystrophy Association this year.

Since 1954, the International Association of Firefighters has donated almost $450 million to MDA.

“Firefighters have been the strongest campaigners for MDA efforts,” Brendan Fonock, vice president of the Cape Coral Professional Fire Fighters Local 2424 said

In 2010 alone, the International Association of Firefighters donated $27.6 million to the MDA Labor day Telethon due to the help of fire fighters and paramedics from the United States and Canada.

The money donated to MDA is collected through community Fill the Boot campaigns, which is when local fire fighters and paramedics go out into the community and ask citizens for donations.

The Cape Coral Professional Fire Fighters Local 2424 held a boot drive on Saturday to help collect money for MDA. Roughly 30 guys were located at the intersection of Veterans Parkway and Santa Barbara, along with Cape Coral Parkway and Del Prado Saturday morning.

Fonock said they raised $2,100 on Saturday.

“We had a great turnout,” Fonock said. “We had great feedback from citizens.”

He said they usually hold a boot drive in the spring when there is a greater population in Cape Coral, but they wanted to hold an additional drive over the weekend to raise more money for the Labor Day MDA telethon.

“The more guys you get out there the more opportunity you get,” Fonock said about collecting donations from the citizens.

A check will be presented to Fox 4 at 9 p.m. Sunday night to MDA for more than $9,000 through the Cape Coral Fire Fighters campaign efforts this year.

Fonock said the boot drive is the main charity that they are involved in throughout the year.

“I think this is one of the many events that we participate in and try to give back,” he said. “We always look forward to doing the next event for charity.”