From the City of Raleigh eNewsgram:
The conference is hosted by the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) to honor City of Raleigh Firefighters. The event will also kick off the firefighter’s “Fill-The-Boot” campaign to raise funds for MDA. Firefighters across the country have been raising money for the MDA since 1954. The Raleigh Fire Department has hosted the “Fill-The-Boot” campaign for the past 10 years.
Committed to the eradication of neuromuscular diseases, Raleigh firefighters have been long-time friends and supporters of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Fill-the-Boot drives are the primary means by which firefighters have raised over $320 million for MDA since 1953.
Last year, Raleigh firefighters raised over $12,000 in support of MDA. Fill-The-Boot funds support MDA’s services locally and nationally, including medical clinics staffed with specialists in muscle disease and accessible summer camps for kids. Nationwide, firefighters raised $25 million in 2007. The mayor’s proclamation will precede Raleigh’s Fill-The-Boot campaign on July 26, during which 100 of Raleigh’s firefighters will take to the streets for the tenth consecutive year to raise funds for MDA.
MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat more than 40 neuromuscular diseases through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services, and far-reaching professional and public health education. The Association’s programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributions.