MDA holds first Fill the Boot drive in two years

After a two-year hiatus caused by a change in a county ordinance, firefighters hit the streets over the weekend with boots in hand for their annual fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

The organization was happy to see the return of the Fill the Boot campaign, which it relies on for more than 25% of its annual budget.

“We’re thrilled they’re able to go out,” said Erin Randall, the MDA fundraising coordinator for the Southwest Florida region.

In February 2013, the county passed an ordinance banning solicitations in the right of way, citing panhandling prevention and pedestrian safety.

Prior to that, the MDA held an annual boot drive, manned by volunteers from the Sarasota County Fire Department.

Representatives and supporters of MDA, including a representative of Suncoast Professional Firefighters and Paramedics, spoke at an Aug. 27 commission meeting to ask the county to reconsider the ban.

The board asked staff to look into a compromise, and staff returned to the board at the Oct. 8 meeting. Staff identified eight intersections deemed safe enough to allow someone to stand on or in the median. Organizations wanting to fundraise in the right of way were required to obtain a $10 one-time permit for each intersection.

MDA has been the only organization to apply for the permits since the amendment in October. About 60 firefighters partnered with MDA Saturday and Sunday for the boot drive.

The organization raised more than $10,000 over the weekend, but fell short of the $25,000 typically raised in the past.

Randall predicted this drive would not bring in as much as the usual drive, held during the peak of season in March, because it was smaller and last minute. In the past, Sarasota County was usually one of the top two highest-donation Florida counties, behind Lee County.

“We’re hoping to get the Sarasota County firefighters back up to the top spot,” Randall said.

Randall remains optimistic the March boot drive will bring in more money. The organization will have more time to plan and get the word out, she said.

Tonya Smith, one of the advocates for MDA who spoke on behalf of the association at the County Commission’s August meeting, remembers seeing the firefighters fundraising during the boot drive — even before she was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.

“It brings me joy to see them serving, and now it affects me personally,” Smith said.

The local chapter has helped her tremendously, she said, both in terms of educating her about her disease and providing support.

MDA once gave her a mobility scooter to borrow so she could take her son to SeaWorld, Smith said. Another time the organization funded a heart test when she didn’t have health insurance.

The local chapter also helps patients in the area network together to form support groups.

“They are like a family to me,” she said. “That fundraising gives you hope. The bottom line is loving others.”

BY THE NUMBERS
60 - years MDA has partnered with the International Association of Fire Fighters for the boot drive

$10 - amount it costs for a one-time permit to fundraise in medians

$25,000 - amount the local MDA chapter generally raises during its drive

Why a boot drive?
MDA has been partnering with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) for 60 years. The idea of a boot drive fundraiser began in 1954 when a fire department in Boston pledged to help a local family who had a member with muscular dystrophy, and it raised funds by collecting money in the firefighters’ boots. Since then, the movement has grown, and fire departments across the country have joined the effort, pledging to support MDA until a cure for muscular disease is found.