New Hanover Co. fire fighters to Fill the Boot for MDA
Members of New Hanover County Fire/Rescue are coming together to kick off the fire fighter’s annual Fill the Boot fundraising campaign to help the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) find urgently needed treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases that severely limit strength and mobility.
Members of New Hanover County Fire/Rescue will fan out throughout the county starting November 9th through November 11th between 8 AM – 5 PM at the following intersections:
Kerr Avenue and Castle Hayne Road
Highway 421 and Isabella Holmes Bridge
Castle Hayne Road and Holly Shelter Road
Market Street and Porters Neck Road
Market Street and Gordon Road
N. College Road, Murrayville Road and Bavarian Lane
S. College Road, Carolina Beach Road and Piner Road
“For more than sixty years, fire fighters have stood on the front lines with MDA in the fight to free individuals — and the families who love them — from the harm of these life-threatening muscle diseases,” said Interim Executive Director, Liz Shirley. “Each year, these fire fighters dedicate countless hours of their time participating in Fill the Boot drives and at MDA Summer Camp. We’re grateful for their steadfast drive and uncommon caring toward the kids and adults we serve and look forward to working together once again to make this Fill the Boot season a huge success.”
MDA’s spirited Fill the Boot campaign is an honored tradition in which thousands of dedicated fire fighters in hometowns across America hit the streets or storefronts asking pedestrians, motorists, customers and other passersby to make a donation to MDA, using their collective strength to help kids and adults live longer and grow stronger. New Hanover County Fire/Rescue held the largest NC boot drive in 2015 with $75,000 raised for MDA.
Funds raised through the 2016 New Hanover County Fire/Rescue Fill the Boot event empower families with life-enhancing resources and support that open new possibilities and maximize independence so they can experience the world without any limits.
In addition to Fill the Boot drives, fire fighter contributions from year-round local events, help support MDA’s efforts to raise awareness and provide professional and public education about neuromuscular diseases.
Contributions also help MDA’s efforts to fund groundbreaking research and life-enhancing programs such as state-of-the-art support groups and Care Centers, including the MDA Care Center at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke. They also help send more than 65 local kids to “the best week of the year” at MDA summer camp at no cost to their families at Camp Hanes.
As MDA’s largest national partner, fire fighters fuel MDA’s mission to find research breakthroughs across diseases; care for kids and adults from day one; and provide families with services and support.
Fire Fighters support for MDA began in 1954 when they 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. Fire Fighters 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 2015, more than 100,000 fire fighters participated in Fill the Boot events across the country and raised $25.5 million. To date fire fighters have raised $583 million for MDA.
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