JOHNSTOWN — The Johnstown Fire Department L779 is showing its continued support for the Muscular Dystrophy Association as its members kick off the annual fill the boot fundraising campaign to raise funds to help transform the lives of kids and adults with muscular dystrophy, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and related muscle-debilitating diseases, according to a news release.
The Johnstown Fire Department L779 firefighters, in continuing a 65-year tradition of helping the MDA community, will hit the street with boots in hand asking pedestrians, motorists, customers and other passersby to make a donation to MDA Friday through Monday at the intersection of North Perry and Briggs streets.
“We are excited to be working with the professionals in the Johnstown Fire Department for another year of fill the boot. The funds raised will help to find treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases that severely limit strength and mobility,” said Eastern New York and Vermont Executive Director Cindy Lawrence.
“All of us at L779 are dedicated to MDA’s mission. We spend hours with fill the boot so that kids can attend MDA Summer Camp and MDA can provide care for the kids and adults in the Capital Region,” said Johnstown Fire Department Union President Jake VanEvery.
Funds raised through Johnstown’s fill the boot event this year will help the MDA save lives and lift those up in need, by providing the MDA with vital resources to advance their mission of driving inn ovations in science and care for the neuromuscular community.
Contributions have helped fund groundbreaking research and life-enhancing programs such as state-of-the-art support groups and Care Centers, including the MDA Care Centers at Albany Medical Center and the Lewis Golub MDA/ALS Center.
They also help send more than 20 local kids to “the best week of the year” at MDA summer camp at Double H Ranch — all at no cost to their families.
In addition to fill the boot drives, fire fighter contributions from year-round local events, including golf tournaments, bowling tournaments and cornhole tournaments to help support MDA’s efforts to raise awareness and provide professional and public education about neuromuscular diseases.
