Local firefighters encourage motorists to ‘fill the boot’ for Muscular Dystrophy Assn.
Over the past weekend local firefighters put their boots to good use in La Cañada Flintridge, at the juncture of Foothill and Verdugo boulevards, participating in an annual three-day “Fill the Boot” fundraiser benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Assn.
Los Angeles County firefighter Bryce Bannerman from La Crescenta’s Station No. 63 arrived at his post bright and early Friday with a handful of colleagues for the fundraiser’s first shift.
“Everyone’s been pretty generous,” Bannerman said, peering into a boot filled with bills of many denominations. “I’ve been pretty surprised — a lot of people don’t even ask what this is, they just see the sign and give.”
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“Fill the Boot” is a national campaign, organized by MDA in partnership with the International Assn. of Firefighters, which raises millions annually to support families served by nonprofit organization. More than 100,000 firefighters hit the streets in 2015 to raise an estimated $25.5 million.
In exchange for donations of any size, participants receive a sticker they can wear or display to further show their support for the cause.
With coin donations still being tabulated as of press time, officials at the national Muscular Dystrophy Assn. office confirmed Tuesday more than $175,000 in bills had been collected throughout Los Angeles County between Friday and Sunday, with $6,728 raised at the La Cañada Flintridge stop alone.
Jonathan Guardado, a probationary firefighter also from Station No. 63, stood on the median of Foothill Boulevard Friday morning enticing people to make a donation by incorporating his boot as part of a dance.
“People are very receptive,” he said. “We’ve been getting a lot of honks. Some people have been by a few times, flashing their stickers from before.”
Across Foothill’s eastbound lanes, fellow firefighter Corey Many collected bills from a work truck. Unlike his newcomer colleagues, he’s participated in the event for the past six years at different stations and says most people know what to do when they see the boots.
“They love it; they all laugh and smile,” Many said of drivers’ reactions. “There are much worse ways to spend a day at work.”
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Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com
Twitter: @SaraCardine
