Firefighters' Campaign to 'Fill the Boot' Kicks Off Today

The 2012 Labor Day weekend Fill the Boot campaign benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) kicks-off in Fairfax County this week with a special event Thursday. 

The Fairfax County Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics - International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 2068, in conjunction with the Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department, the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications, the Greater Washington Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and Subway Restaurants are hosting the pre-collection event beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday at Fairfax County Fire Station 5, 6300 Beulah St. in Alexandria.

"For the past seven of the twenty plus years that they have been collecting, members of Local 2068 have consistently been in the top three in the nation for amount collected during the weekend campaign," said IAFF Local 2068 communications director Joel Kobersteen. He's also the coordinator for the Fairfax County Labor Day Weekend Fill the Boot Campaign.

"During the 2011 Labor Day Weekend campaign, Local 2068 members across Fairfax County collected over $435,000 for Greater Washington MDA," he said.

The 2012 campaign will begin on Aug. 31, and run through Sept. 3, at controlled intersections throughout Fairfax County. Here's where to find them in the Centreville and Chantilly areas:

• Station 15 – Route 50 and Walney Rd
• Station 17 – Route 28 and New Braddock; Lee Highway and Stone Rd
• Station 21 – Fairfax County Parkway and Fair Lakes Parkway
• Station 38 – Stone Rd. and Lee Hwy., in front of Giant Food on Stone Rd.
• Station 40 – West Ox Rd. and Fair Lakes Parkway; 29 and Waples Mill/Shirley Gate

The International Association of Fire Fighters is one of the leading contributors to MDA nationwide, donating more than $450 million during its 58 year partnership, according to Kobersteen.

Last year, the firefighters at Fairfax Center, Station 40, collected $38,597, more than any other station in the county. The numbers collected by the other local stations aren't exactly chump change, either: the amounts range from over $10,000 to nearly $14,000. 

Proceeds help support MDA services and research programs in the Washington, D.C. area, including MDA’s annual camp for kids affected by neuromuscular disease and outpatient clinics at Children’s National Medical Center and Georgetown University Hospital for people effected by the more than 40
neuromuscular diseases.

Fairfax County Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics – Local 2068 represents over 1,700 of the active and retired paid fire fighters, paramedics, fire investigators, fire marshals, mechanics and communications professionals. "They protect the citizens and visitors of Fairfax County 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said Kobersteen.