Colton Firefighters Fill the Boot for a Cure

Members of the Colton Fire Department Local 935, along with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, kicked off the firefighters' annual Fill the Boot fundraising campaign to help save and improve the lives of people fighting muscle disease in the Colton area, raising just over $10,000 in seven hours to benefit the local MDA chapter. Muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other related life-threatening diseases take away people’s ability to walk, move, smile, talk and even breathe. More than 30 members of the Colton Fire Department Local 935 fanned out across the city last month with boots in hand for this year’s drive at the intersection of Washington and Mt. Vernon. “For more than six decades firefighters have stood on the front lines for MDA, striving to make a difference in the lives of those affected by muscle disease,” said MDA Fundraising Coordinator, Jackiee Roman. “Firefighters in the Colton area do more for MDA and the families we serve than any other group, dedicating countless hours of their time every year participating in Fill the Boot drives and at MDA Summer Camp. We're grateful for the support of these inspiring, selfless individuals who have made a profound impact on our families’ health, well-being and quality of life.” Funds raised through 2015 Colton Fill the Boot event build on decades of research progress, helping push science to its limits in the search for treatments and cures, and the money raised is kept in the local community. Dollars raised also help support MDA’s life-enhancing programs such as state-of-the-art support groups and clinics, including the MDA Clinic at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda. They also make MDA summer camp possible so kids with muscle disease can enjoy “the best week of the year” at the Outdoor Education Center in Irvine and nearly 80 other locations nationwide, according to a release issued by the fire department. As the Muscular Dystrophy Association's largest national sponsor, the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) fuels MDA's mission to find treatments and cures for life-threatening muscle diseases. In addition to Fill the Boot events, contributions from charity baseball games and other local events hosted/sponsored by the IAFF help support MDA's efforts to raise awareness and provide professional and public education about neuromuscular diseases. IAFF support for MDA began in 1954 when the organization committed by proclamation to support MDA until a cure is found, and the organization's unwavering commitment to MDA has remained strong to this day. The IAFF raised $100,000 for MDA in 1955, and $1 million in 1970, and fire fighters continue to raise the bar in their fundraising efforts. In 2013, more than 100,000 fire fighters participated in Fill the Boot events across the country and raised $26.2 million. To date the IAFF has raised $558 million for MDA.