Members of the Bath Professional Fire Fighters Local #1611 raised $2,570 during the annual Fill the Boot campaign last month to help kids and adults with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases that severely limit strength and mobility live longer and grow stronger.

“For more than six decades, fire fighters have fueled MDA’s mission to find treatments and cures for muscle-debilitating diseases, and this year’s Bath Fire Fill the Boot results are perfect example of their dedication,” said Fundraising Coordinator Brittni Bonville.

MDA’s Fill the Boot campaign is a tradition in which thousands of fire fighters across America hit streets and storefronts asking pedestrians, motorists, customers and other passersby to make a donation to MDA.

Funds raised help MDA’s efforts to fund research and programs such support groups and care centers, including the MDA Care Center at Eastern Maine Medical Center and Maine Medical Partners – Pediatric Neurology. They also help send more than 90 local kids to MDA summer camp at no cost to their families at Agassiz Village in Poland.

IAFF support for MDA began in 1954 when the organization committed by proclamation to support MDA until a cure is found. The IAFF raised $100,000 for MDA in 1955, and $1 million in 1970. In 2015, more than 100,000 fire fighters participated in Fill the Boot events across the country and raised $25.5 million. To date the IAFF has raised $583 million for MDA.