MDA Ambassador Isaac Yother (far right) holds a sign while his brother Imri waves the flag to start the trucks off at Station 1 on their Fill the Boot fundraiser for MDA. Behind them is their mother, Susan, and next to her is Ingleborg Husas, a foreign exchange student from Norway.
photo by Bruce Garner
MDA Ambassador Isaac Yother, his younger brother, Imri, and his mother, Susan got to have some fun Thursday morning when they gave the signal that started Chattanooga fire companies off on their fundraising drive today for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Isaac has a form of muscular dystrophy and he told reporters that he truly appreciates what the firefighters are trying to do for them and many other children afflicted by these terrible muscle diseases.
For the next three days, March 23-25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., more than 370 firefighters will fan out across the city with boots in hand to collect donations for MDA. Last year the Chattanooga Fire Department finished second in the state by raising $80,507. This year's goal is to raise $100,000 for MDA. The funds raised support research to find urgently needed treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases that severely limit strength and mobility. The funds also support the MDA Care Center at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, and they help send local kids to MDA summer camp at no cost to their families. The Chattanooga Fire Fighters Association, Local 820 is also a key sponsor of this fundraising drive.
For video of Thursday's event, click here.
Starting Thursday, look for Chattanooga firefighters at the following locations:
Quint 1 – 4th St. & Mable St.
Ladder 1 – Main St. & Central
Squad 1 – Broad St. & Aquarium Way
Quint 2 – Market St. & Main St.
Quint 3 – Entrance of Walmart & Cummings Rd.
Engine 4 – Dodson Ave. & Wilcox Blvd.
Engine 5 – Main St. & Willow St.
Quint 4 – Bailey Ave. & Willow St.
Quint 6 – Bonny Oaks Dr. & Hwy 58
Quint 7 – Lee Hwy & Relocation Way (Food City)
Squad 7 – Jenkins Rd. (intersection by Tiger Mart)
Quint 8 – Shallowford Rd. & Hamilton Place Blvd.
Engine 9 – Rossville Blvd. & Dodds Ave.
Quint 10 – Wilder St. & Dodson Ave.
Engine 12 – Frazier Ave. & Forrest Ave.
Quint 13 – Greenway View Dr. & Brainerd Rd.
Squad 13 – Igou Gap Rd. & Gunbarrel Rd.
Quint 14 – St. Elmo Ave. & 38th St.
Engine 15 – Moore Rd. & Shallowford Rd.
Quint 16 – Lupton Dr. & Hixson Pike
Quint 17 – Mountain Creek Rd. & Signal Mtn Blvd.
Quint 19 – North Point Rd. & Hixson Pike
Squad 19 – North Point Rd. & Hixson Pike
Squad 20 – Brown Ferry Rd. & Cummings Rd.
Quint 21 – E. Brainerd Rd. & Graysville Rd. (Walmart parking lot)
Engine 22 – Walmart Entrance and Exit behind Chik-Fil-A on Hwy 153
Mayor Andy Berke, City Councilman Yusuf Hakeem and Chattanooga firefighters make the MDA "make a muscle" pose in support of our Fill the Boot fundraising campaign.
photo by Bruce Garner