Members of the Great Bend Fire Department raised $5,578 between the annual Fill the Boot campaign Sept. 4, and the Stache Dash run on Nov. 7, to help save and improve the lives of people fighting muscle disease in Kansas.
“It makes me feel good to help the MDA,” Fire Inspector Mark Orth said. “It is a tradition for us.”
Muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other related life-threatening diseases take away people’s ability to walk, move, smile, talk and even breathe.
“For six decades, firefighters have fueled MDA’s mission to find treatments and cures for life-threatening muscle diseases, and this year’s Great Bend Fill the Boot results are a perfect example of the true dedication Great Bend Fire Department has toward supporting the families we serve,” fundraising coordinator Chelsea Dyer said. “We’re grateful for the support of these inspiring, selfless individuals who provide life-saving help that will fund research, advocate for children and adults affected by muscle disease, and rally our community to fight back.”
Funds raised through 2015 Great Bend Fill the Boot event build on decades of research progress, helping push science to its limits in the search for treatments and cures.
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 Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita.
They also make MDA summer camp possible so kids with muscle disease can enjoy “the best week of the year” at Tall Oaks in Linwood and nearly 80 other locations nationwide.
As the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s largest national sponsor, firefighters fuel MDA’s mission to find treatments and cures for life-threatening muscle diseases.
Firefighter support for MDA began more than 60 years ago. In 1955, firefighters raised $100,000 for MDA, 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, fire fighters have raised $558 million for MDA.