Members of the Knoxville IAFF Local 65 Fire Fighter Association are set to kick off the fire fighter’s annual Fill the Boot fundraising campaign to help the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) find urgently needed treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases that severely limit strength and mobility.
More than 100 fire fighters of the Knoxville Fire Association will fan out across the city with boots in hand for this year’s drive Saturday, October 22nd from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at major intersections around Knoxville.
“For more than sixty years, fire fighters have stood on the front lines with MDA in the fight to free individuals — and the families who love them — from the harm of these life-threatening muscle diseases,” said Executive Director, Teresa Underwood. “Each year, Knoxville IAFF fire fighters dedicate countless hours of their time participating in Fill the Boot drives and at MDA Summer Camp. We’re grateful for their steadfast drive and uncommon caring toward the kids and adults we serve and look forward to working together once again to make this Fill the Boot season a huge success.”
MDA’s spirited Fill the Boot campaign is an honored tradition in which thousands of dedicated fire fighters in hometowns across America hit the streets or storefronts asking pedestrians, motorists, customers and other passersby to make a donation to MDA, using their collective strength to help kids and adults live longer and grow stronger.
Funds raised through Knoxville’s 2016 Fill the Boot events empower families with life-enhancing resources and support that open new possibilities and maximize independence so they can experience the world without any limits.
Contributions also help MDA’s efforts to fund groundbreaking research and life-enhancing programs such as state-of-the-art support groups and Care Centers, including the MDA Care Center at UT Medical Center in Knoxville, TN. They also help send more than 90 local kids to “the best week of the year” at MDA summer camp at no cost to their families at the Center for Courageous Kids.
MDA is leading the fight to free individuals — and the families who love them — from the harm of muscular dystrophy, ALS and related muscle-debilitating diseases that take away physical strength, independence and life. We use our collective strength to help kids and adults live longer and grow stronger by finding research breakthroughs across diseases; caring for individuals from day one; and empowering families with services and support in hometowns across America.
Learn how you can fund cures, find care and champion the cause at mda.org. For more local information call the Knoxville MDA office at 865-588-1632 or email knoxville@mdausa.org.
