CANTON — Creekview High School’s Beta Club did more than simply sell shamrocks to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association this year.

The money raised gave three children the opportunity to attend MDA’s Walk N’ Roll camp in Rutledge from July 1 to 6, including Dylan Schopmann, a Canton native.

The camp costs the MDA $800 per child. This year, MDA was able to send 108 kids, which is a big increase from last year when they were only able to send 85 kids.

“The camp is one of the most fun weeks of the year for these kids,” MDA Executive Director Angela Brown said. “They get the chance to do many things they never had the opportunity to do. It‘s great to see all of these kids having fun.”

Some of the activities the campers had the chance to participate in at the camp included zip-lining, horseback riding and swimming, among other activities.

“Everything has been adapted to fit their needs,” Brown said. “We had special harnesses for the zip-line and for the horses. The kids had fun until the very last day.”

The community service club, which was led by student president Nicole Torralba and adviser Linda Orfale, held their second annual “You Beta Walk” fundraiser on Jan. 21, raising more than $2,400 for MDA, the most raised by any high school in the Metro Atlanta and North Georgia area.

Brown was amazed with the dedication of this group of Creekview students and said that their fundraiser not only raised money, but it also gave the community a great deal of exposure to MDA.

“They did an awesome job,” Brown said. “Most schools just sell shamrocks, but they took it up a notch and organized an entire walk.”

The walk was sponsored by Kajima Foundation Inc. for the second consecutive year and brought together students, families, and the community in order to raise awareness for Muscular Dystrophy.

MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research.

The Association, which originated in 1950, also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education. To learn more about MDA, visit www.mda.org or contact Angela Brown at (770) 850-0533 or abrown@mdausa.org.