El Cerrito Community Invited to Help Contra Costa County Firefighters 'Fill the Boot'

Announcement, logo submitted by United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County:

Members of the United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County Local 1230, will kick off the firefighters’ annual Fill the Boot fundraising campaign by fanning out across the county with boots in hand. For this year’s Fill the Boot, members of the United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County Local 1230 are making an effort to raise $100,000 over the course of two days to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s mission here in the Bay Area. Muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other related life-threatening diseases take away people’s ability to walk, move, smile, talk and even breathe.

Events on 6/2/15 will be taking place from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, at the following locations:

• Delta Fair Boulevard and Somersville Road – Antioch
• Contra Costa Boulevard and Taylor Boulevard – Pleasant Hill
• Ygnacio Valley Road and California Boulevard – Walnut Creek
• Rheem Blvd and Moraga Road – Moraga
• Carlson Blvd and San Pablo Ave – El Cerrito

Events on 6/4/15 will be taking place from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, at the following locations:

• Deer Valley and Lone Tree Parkway – Antioch
• Contra Costa Blvd and Concord Ave – Pleasant Hill
• Mt. Diablo and N. Main. – Walnut Creek
• Camino Pablo and Brookwood Road - Orinda

“For more than six decades firefighters have stood on the front lines for MDA, striving to make a difference in the lives of those affected by muscle disease,” said Executive Director P.J. Smith. “Firefighters in the Contra Costa County area do more for MDA and the families we serve than any other group, dedicating countless hours of their time every year participating in Fill the Boot drives and at MDA Summer Camp. We’re grateful for the support of these inspiring, selfless individuals who have made a profound impact on our families’ health, wellbeing and quality of life, and we’re excited to make this year’s Fill the Boot campaign the most successful yet.”

Funds raised through the 2015 Fill the Boot events in Contra Costa County build on decades of research progress, helping push science to its limits in the search for treatments and cures.

Dollars raised also help support MDA’s life-enhancing programs such as state-of-the-art support groups and clinics, including the MDA Clinic at California Pacific Medical Center at Forbes Norris in San Francisco, Stanford’s Adult Neuromuscular Clinic and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinic in Palo Alto, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinic and UCSF Medical Center ALS Clinic in San Francisco.They also make MDA summer camp possible so kids with muscle disease can enjoy “the best week of the year” at Westminster Woods in Occidental, CA and nearly 80 other locations nationwide.

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. In addition to Fill the Boot events, contributions from charity baseball games and other local events hosted/sponsored by the IAFF help support MDA’s efforts to raise awareness and provide professional and public education about neuromuscular diseases.

IAFF 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 $558 million for MDA.