Firefighters prepare for annual 'Fill the Boot' drive
By Angela Greiner Contributing Writer

Hudson Fireman Kevin Prest, preparing for the annual "Fill the Boot" drive, said the firefighters usually collect approximately $8,000 in donations from the community. PHOTO/ANGELA GREINER

Hudson - The members of the Hudson Fire Department are polishing up their boots in preparation for the annual "Fill the Boot" drive. The campaign is a national fund-raising eff ort by firefighters to raise money to fund research into treatment and a cure for Muscular Dystrophy, along with providing support to patients.

This year's boot drive will take place Friday Aug. 17 in Hudson at the block where Main, Manning, Broad and South streets and Vila do Porto Boulevard intersect.

Kevin Prest is one of the firefighters involved in the fund-raiser.

"I think it is a good cause and it is actually a fun day for us to be out with the public," Prest said.

Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic disease that causes progressive muscle weakness, often resulting in the loss of the ability to walk. The disease was initially discovered in the 1830s; it is now known that there are nine diff erent diseases that fall under the umbrella of Muscular Dystrophy. It often aff ects children. The prognosis varies from a gradual debilitation of the muscles over a lifespan to more severe cases that can result in death at infancy.

The money raised from the boot drive will be donated to the annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day telethon that raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The International Association of Fire Fighter's (IAFF) has been longtime supporter of the MDA, with a more than 50-year commitment to the organization.

The first broadcast fundraising eff orts for MDA started in the early 1950s with series of comedy programs starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Since 1955, Lewis has continued his eff orts, with the first Labor Day telethon in 1966. Over the past 40 years the telethon has raised $2 billion. Last year the show raised $61 million, of which 77 percent went directly to research, education and health care costs.

IAFF has more than 280,000 members across the United States and Canada. In 2006 firefighters donated $23.5 million to the MDA, with a total contribution of $275 million since 1954.

Fire Chief John Blood explained that participating in the boot drive is rewarding.

"People realize that we are out there for a good cause," Blood said. "People's attitudes in the cars are overwhelming."