VALDOSTA — City firefighters raised $6,000 with the recent Fill the Boot campaign.

During the 2018 Muscular Dystrophy Association Fill the Boot campaign, Valdosta Fire Department helped kids and adults with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related life-threatening diseases live longer and grow stronger, according to city officials. 

This year, $6,000 was raised to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association, they said. 

“The Valdosta Fire Department has once again shown their immense dedication and love for MDA’s families during this year’s Fill the Boot campaign,” said Jasmyne Stanley, development specialist for MDA. “This year’s Fill the Boot was a success and we are grateful for the generosity of those in the Valdosta community who have helped individuals with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related muscle-debilitating diseases truly live unlimited.”

Firefighters have taken part in MDA’s Fill the Boot tradition for more than 60 years, hitting the streets or storefronts asking pedestrians, motorists, customers and other passersby to make a donation to MDA, joining the fight to find treatments and cures for devastating diseases that take away everyday abilities such as walking, talking, hugging and even breathing, city officials said.

Funds raised help MDA’s efforts to fund groundbreaking research and life-enhancing programs such as state-of-the-art support groups and Care Centers, including the MDA Care Center at Shands in Gainesville and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. They also help send kids to “the best week of the year” at MDA Summer Camp at no cost to their families at Camp Umatilla.