Libertyville firefighters 'Fill the Boot' for charity
Members of the Libertyville Professional Firefighters Association Local 3892 raised $11,038 during the annual "Fill the Boot" drive on four Fridays in October to benefit children and adults affected by muscle disease throughout the Libertyville area.
"We are all really excited about the success of this year's 'Fill the Boot' event," said Mike Hall, president of Local 3892. "We were able to raise and donate about 25 percent more than last year; and last year had been by far our best year ever.
"We are really proud of the generosity of our community. Our members volunteer their time, but it's the generous donations from the people who live, work, shop or just pass through Libertyville that really make the event a success. We can't thank them enough."
"For six decades, firefighters have fueled MDA's mission to find treatments and cures for life-threatening muscle diseases, and this year's Libertyville Local 3892 'Fill the Boot' results are a perfect example of the true dedication Libertyville Local 3892 has toward supporting the families we serve," said MDA Fundraising Coordinator Mike Donohoo.
"We're grateful for the support of these inspiring, selfless individuals who provide lifesaving help that will fund research, advocate for children and adults affected by muscle disease, and rally our community to fight back."
Funds raised through 2014 Libertyville "Fill the Boot" events will help support MDA's programs of worldwide research, specialized health care services, and day-to-day support, which includes sending local children affected by muscular dystrophy and related muscle diseases to a weeklong, barrier-free MDA summer camp at Timber Pointe Outdoor Center in Hudson, Illinois.
As the Muscular Dystrophy Association's largest national sponsor, the IAFF fuels MDA's mission to find treatments and cures for life-threatening muscle diseases.
The IAFF is a major contributing sponsor of the MDA Show of Strength Telethon, and IAFF contributions from charity baseball games and other local events help support MDA's efforts to raise awareness and provide professional and public education about neuromuscular diseases.
IAFF's support for MDA began in 1954 when the organization committed by proclamation to support MDA until a cure is found, and the organization's unwavering commitment to MDA has remained strong to this day.
The IAFF raised $100,000 for MDA in 1955 and $1 million in 1970, and firefighters continue to raise the bar in their fundraising efforts. In 2013, more than 100,000 firefighters participated in "Fill the Boot" events across the country and raised $26.2 million. To date, the IAFF has raised $530 million for MDA.
The International Association of Fire Fighters represents more than 300,000 professional firefighters and paramedics who protect 85 percent of the nation's population. More than 3,200 affiliates and their members protect communities in every state in the United States and in Canada. Libertyville's Local 3892 chapter was organized in 1999 and represents 35 active members.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is the world's leading nonprofit health agency dedicated to finding treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neuromuscular diseases. It does so by funding worldwide research; by providing comprehensive health care services and support to MDA families nationwide; and by rallying communities to fight back through advocacy, fundraising and local engagement.
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