Getting the boot

By Barry Porterfield

August 27, 2008 12:23 pm

— Don’t be surprised this Labor Day weekend if while driving in Pauls Valley’s downtown area a local first-responder approaches your car carrying only a boot.
The guys with boots will be Pauls Valley firefighters collecting donations for the national Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) campaign that comes back around at this time each year.
Local firemen will be out and about starting Saturday, Aug. 30 and continue daily during the three-day period through Monday, Sept. 1.
“We’ll be out there from about 9 a.m. to 1 o’clock each day,” PV Fire Chief Joe Eddy said about the now familiar campaign entitled “Fill the Boot.”
“It’ll be the same as previous years. We’ll spend three days collecting donations,” he said.
The Labor Day campaign raises funds for programs of research, services and education for children and adults affected by any of more than 40 diseases in MDA’s program.
The way it works is a handful of firefighters will be patrolling different downtown intersections during the allotted time each of the days.
“We’ll have two to three men at the intersection and catch traffic coming from both sides,” Eddy said.
Those firefighters will greet those passing as they hold the boots normally meant to help them fight fires.
In this case they’ll use the boots to collect donations from passing motorists.
According to the chief, all the money donated locally during the three-day period will go the annual campaign.
“One hundred percent of the money donated goes to the MDA,” he said.
Since 2001 the department and the Pauls Valley community have reportedly raised over $30,000 for MDA.
“That money goes for research to find a cure,” Eddy said.
“Every year people have been tremendous in how they’ve given to the cause.”
Established in 1950, the Muscular Dystrophy Association is a non-profit, voluntary health agency dedicated to providing comprehensive medical services to individuals affected by neuromuscular diseases.
The MDA is also the benefactor of the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon, which this year is set for Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.
It’s expected to attract some 40 million viewers nationwide and many more worldwide on the Internet via RealNetworks at mda.org.
A new feature of this year’s broadcast is an online auction through Sept. 4 with items up for bid at www.mda.org/auctions that were donated by celebrities, MDA sponsors and others.