Members of the Chattanooga Fire Department and the Chattanooga Fire Fighters Association, Local 820 are set to kick-off their annual Fill the Boot fundraising campaign for the Muscular Dystrophy Association later this week.
More than 370 firefighters will fan out across the city with boots in hand to collect donations on August 25-27 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Last year the Chattanooga Fire Department finished first in the state by raising $84,063. 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.
Starting this Thursday, look for Chattanooga firefighters at the following locations:
Quint 1 – 4th St. and 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 Road
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 Road (intersection by Tiger Mart)
Quint 8 – Shallowford Road & 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 Road
Squad 13 – Igou Gap Road & Gunbarrel Road
Quint 14 – St. Elmo Ave. & 38th St.
Engine 15 – Moore Road & Shallowford Road
Quint 16 – Lupton Dr. & Hixson Pike
Quint 17 – Mountain Creek Road & Signal Mtn. Blvd.
Quint 19 – North Point Road & Hixson Pike
Squad 19 – North Point Road & Hixson Pike
Squad 20 – Brown Ferry Road & Cummings Road
Quint 21 – E. Brainerd Road & Graysville Road (Walmart parking lot)
Engine 22 – Walmart Entrance and Exit behind Chik-Fil-A on Hwy. 153
No streets and/or intersections will be closed during the event.
“For more than sixty years, firefighters have stood on the front lines with MDA in the fight to free individuals — and the families who love them — from the harm of these life-threatening muscle diseases,” said Executive Director Ashley Davis. “Each year, Chattanooga firefighters dedicate countless hours of their time participating in Fill the Boot drives and at MDA Summer Camp. We're grateful for their steadfast drive and uncommon caring toward the kids and adults we serve and look forward to working together once again to make this Fill the Boot season a huge success.”