Orland Fire 'Fills the Boot,' Raises $20,000 for Local Families

More than 115 members of the Orland Fire Protection District and Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 2754 raised $20,576 during the annual Fill the Boot drive on May 16 and 17 to benefit children and adults affected by muscle disease throughout the Orland area.

“For six decades, fire fighters have fueled MDA's mission to find treatments and cures for life-threatening muscle diseases, and this year’s Orland Fill the Boot results are a perfect example of the true dedication Orland Fire Protection District and Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 2754 has toward supporting the families we serve,” said Fundraising Coordinator, Megan Miller. “We’re grateful for the support of these inspiring, selfless individuals who provide life-saving help that will fund research, advocate for children and adults affected by muscle disease, and rally our community to fight back.”

Funds raised through 2014 Orland Fill the Boot events will help support MDA's programs of worldwide research, specialized health care services, and day-to-day support—which includes sending children affected by muscular dystrophy and related muscle diseases to a weeklong, barrier-free MDA summer camp in Hudson, IL.

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.  

The IAFF is a major contributing sponsor of the MDA Show of Strength Telethon, and IAFF contributions from charity baseball games and other local events 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 fire fighters continue to raise the bar in their fundraising efforts. In 2013, more than 100,000 fire fighters participated in Fill the Boot events across the country and raised $26.2 million. To date the IAFF has raised $530 million for MDA.