CARTHAGE, Mo. — Fire fighters have collected critical funds in the community since 1954 – one dollar at a time – as part of the Fill the Boot program for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).
The Carthage Fire Department will be continuing this long-standing tradition as its members kick off their annual collection raising funds to support MDA’s vision to accelerate research, advance care, and advocate for the support of MDA families.
Dedicated fire fighters from the Carthage Fire Department will be out with boots in hand at the entryway of the Walmart parking area from 12pm to 5pm September 2nd through September 4th.
Fire fighters have been raising funds for MDA since 1954. To date, the Fill the Boot program has raised more than $679 million with involvement from over 300,000 fire fighters nationwide. These funds have led in part to over a dozen FDA-approved drugs in as many years for those with neuromuscular disease. Those treatments were created from MDA’s vision to open a new field of medicine and push the boundaries of the medical frontier we call genetic medicine.
“What fire fighters have done for MDA over the past 68 years is unprecedented,” said Donald S. Wood, Ph.D., President and CEO of MDA. “With the support from fire fighters, MDA is doing the impossible in accelerating research, advancing care, and advocating for people living with neuromuscular disease. We have a mission to empower the people we serve to live longer, more independent lives and we will fulfill this mission together, with our fire fighter partners.”
