Asheville, NC. – Members of the Asheville Fire Department will brave the heat with boots in hand on Friday, May 25, 2012 from 10:00 AM -6:00 PM as they station themselves at the intersection of Haywood Rd. & Brevard Rd.. They will be raising money for their Fill-the-Boot fundraising campaign, with all proceeds going to local children and adults living with neuromuscular disorders

"The Asheville Fire Fighters Association has had a long standing relationship with the MDA. We as firefighters have been dedicated to assisting in raising funds for people battling this terrible disease for many years. This is a disease that not only affects individuals, but their families and the community as a whole. We are looking forward to providing our assistance to the MDA”, states Union representative Brian Stanfield. Committed to ending neuromuscular diseases, fire fighters are longtime friends and supporters of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Fill-the-Boot drives are the primary means by which the International Association of Fire Fighters and volunteer fire fighters have raised more than $435 million for MDA since 1954. In 2011 alone, fire fighters fundraised over $24 million through Fill the Boot drives.

AFD Fire Chief Scott Burnette states, “I encourage all citizens to share what they can financially to assist individuals and families having to deal with MD. Several of the Asheville Fire Department firefighters have been dedicated to MDA in many ways and for many years”. MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat neuromuscular diseases through worldwide research, comprehensive services, and far-reaching professional and public health education. In addition to funding ground-breaking research, MDA maintains some 230 clinics nationwide, local support groups, and nearly 80 summer camps for kids with muscle-wasting diseases including our local camp in Marietta, SC.  MDA was the first nonprofit recognized by the American Medical Association with a Lifetime Achievement Award “for significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity.”