Templeton Fire joins muscular dystrophy fundraising campaign
Templeton firefighters after their recent fundraising event. Courtesy photo.
– Members of the Templeton Fire Department along with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, kicked off the Firefighters’ First Annual “Fill the Boot” fundraising campaign to help save and improve the lives of people fighting muscle disease in the Templeton area.
Muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other related life-threatening diseases take away people’s ability to walk, move, smile, talk and even breathe.
Members of the Templeton Fire Department staffed a booth on Aug. 29 at the Templeton Farmer’s Market at Templeton Park and raised $663 in donations. Fire Captain Tony Broom said that “for more than six decades firefighters have stood on the front lines for MDA, striving to make a difference in the lives of those affected by muscle disease. Firefighters in the area do more for MDA and the families we serve than any other group, dedicating countless hours of their time every year participating in Fill the Boot drives and at MDA Summer Camp. We’re grateful for the support of these inspiring, selfless individuals who have made a profound impact on our families’ health, wellbeing and quality of life, and we’re excited to make this year’s Templeton Fill the Boot campaign successful.”
Funds raised through 2015 Templeton 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 UCLA in Los Angeles. They also make MDA summer camp possible so kids with muscle disease can enjoy “the best week of the year” at a camp in Irvine 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. In addition to Fill the Boot events, contributions from charity baseball games and other local events hosted/sponsored by fire departments help support MDA’s efforts to raise awareness and provide professional and public education about neuromuscular diseases.
Firefighter support for MDA began in 1954 when the organization committed by proclamation to support MDA until a cure is found. Firefighters 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 2013, more than 100,000 fire fighters participated in Fill the Boot events across the country and raised $26.2 million. To date, firefighters across the country have raised $558 million for MDA.
