Front Range Fire Authority Firefighters braved traffic Labor Day Weekend and collected over $7,400 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in their annual Fill the Boot fundraising campaign. Thanks to all the incredibly generous Johnstown and Milliken community members who dropped change and folding money into the firefighters’ Fill the Boot campaign!
The devotion of firefighters with the cause of MDA has emerged as a strong example of selflessness, and we are very proud of their hard work and dedication.
Firefighters from stations 1(Johnstown) and 2 (Milliken) gathered at the main intersections in town to gather donations from passersby for the MDA’s various programs. Donations collected by the firefighters go toward research for cures to muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy and other life-threatening diseases that can impair the ability of those diagnosed to walk, move or breathe.
"It’s nice to meet some of the people you serve and give them the opportunity to help someone else too," said Captain John Davis.
Fundraising Coordinator Jen Keefer said the MDA spends $75,000 per day on research towards curing muscular dystrophy and related diseases so most of the funds raised go towards that effort. In addition to research, she said funds are also distributed to the MDA’s summer camps, support groups, free clinics and equipment repairs.
This is Fill the Boot’s 61st year. It began in 1954 with one station in Boston when a father who knew a firefighter asked if they could raise money for his son with muscle disease.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a voluntary health agency working to defeat neuromuscular diseases through research and health education. Firefighters across the United States have supported the MDA for more than 60 years.