San Angelo Firefighters Start "Fill the Boot" Campaign for MDA Wednesday

The San Angelo Fire Department announced Friday the details of their annual Fill the Boot campaign for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Mason Matthews, a firefighter and paramedic is coordinating this year’s campaign.

For those unfamiliar, the SAFD’s International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) collect donations at busy intersections in town, asking citizens to drop change into a firefighter’s boot that each volunteer firefighter is holding. Since 1954 when the tradition began, the IAFF says they have raised $558 million for the MDA.

The money has funded 250 research projects and maintains a network of 200 medical clinics worldwide, including 40 MDA/ALS centers for diagnostic and follow-up care. The event also funds medical equipment maintenance for patients, and sponsors 3,500 kids’ ages 6-17 that suffer from muscular disease to attend over 80 summer camps at no cost to the kids’ families.

In San Angelo, the firefighter’s union is the Local 886 IAFF Chapter.

“Fill the Boot allows San Angelo to donate to those who do or possibly will suffer from a Muscle Disease and it allows SAFD personnel to be ‘in the streets’ interacting with the public.  Anything that can be donated is appreciated. Please give a penny, or give $10. It all adds up and it ALL helps those who need it!” Matthews said.

SAFD will collect and then hand-count every cent before proudly donating all collected money to the MDA.  In 2014 SAFD collected and donated just under $60,000 for MDA and Matthews wants to break that $60,000 mark this year. 

You will see your local firefighters working these four intersections for the Fill the Boot Campaign from April 1 through 3, from 7:30 a.m. until 5:50 p.m.:

• 
Johnson St. and Knickerbocker Rd.

• Avenue N and Sherwood Way

• S. Abe and W. Harris Ave.
• 
29th St. and Bryant Blvd.