Expect to see at least a couple of Kent firefighters all day Friday at two downtown intersections during a “Fill-the-Boot” fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Firefighters, dressed in gear, plan to be at the corners of Fourth Avenue and James Street as well as Central Avenue and Smith Street from about 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. They will hold boots and take donations from drivers and pedestrians.
“Money goes straight into the boot and straight to the MDA,” said Sean Allen, a Kent firefighter who helped organize the event.
The MDA and the Local 1747 of the International Association of Fire Fighters are sponsors of the event. More than two dozen Kent firefighters plan to volunteer their time to help raise money.
The MDA is a nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The association, which also receives money from the Jerry Lewis telethon, provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education.
Kent firefighters last ran a Fill-the-Boot campaign about 16 years ago, Allen said. The union has sponsored golf tournaments and other events to raise money, but decided to go back to the fill-the-boot fundraiser this year.
“It’s the major charity of the IAFF and it has a long connection of over 50 years with the MDA,” Allen said
Firefighters plan to post signs near the intersections to let residents know about the fundraiser.
“We’ll be in our gear, so people will know we are from the fire department,” Allen said.
The firefighters picked two heavily traveled intersections near the Kent Station shopping mall in an effort to catch the attention of as people as possible.
Seattle and Renton firefighters recently held similar events for the MDA and raised a lot of money. Renton raised almost $11,000 in July during its second annual fill-the-boot campaign for the MDA.
“If we can do about $5,000 I think that would be successful,” Allen said.
About 92 percent of the funds raised are kept in King County by the MDA, Allen said.
“That’s cool when the money stays local,” Allen said.
The MDA operates clinics for adults and children affected by neuromuscular diseases at Seattle Children’s Hospital and at the University of Washington Medical Center.
It didn’t take much to motivate Allen to help with the fundraiser.
“As a firefighter, I want to help the community,” Allen said. “On top of that, firefighters around the country all get behind the MDA. We need to keep up with other departments. They do it in New York and at other departments around here. It’s a good cause.”
Even though the fill-the-boot drive falls on the same date as the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, the event isn’t connected with 9-11.
“It just kind of happened with our timetable,” Allen said. “The MDA does several other events and this date worked out. It’s awesome to do something that day, but it is not a fundraiser for any 9-11 projects.”
For information about the MDA, go to www.mda.org.
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