Have your wallets ready Tuesday. There's a good chance a friend may need to be bailed out of jail.

The annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Lock-Up will be held next week at the Applebee's Neighborhood Bar & Grill on Grant Avenue in Auburn.

The event is one of the bigger fund-raisers in the area, in terms of money raised. Last year's lock-up, held at Ricky's restaurant in Auburn, raised more than $35,000 for the MDA.

Scores of business people and other community leaders from the area have agreed to be put behind bars for the day. To raise "bail" money, they make phone calls to friends, family and colleagues seeking donations.

In addition to raising funds for a charity, participants in the lock-up have found the event to be a great networking opportunity.

The MDA already has an extensive list of people expected to be "arrested" on Tuesday, including Cayuga County District Attorney James Vargason and county legislator Chris Palermo.

The MDA's mission is to combat neuromuscular diseases through research funding, services for disease victims and educational outreach to the community. The MDA relies heavily on donations from the private sector.

It serves the more than one million Americans with muscular dystrophy-related diseases. Typical services the organization provides include money for wheelchairs and other equipment, as well as funds to make modifications to homes so they are more accessible for people with muscular dystrophy diseases.

For more information on the lock-up Tuesday, including how to volunteer or "turn someone in," contact MDA program coordinator Kate Gnann at 451-8269.