KAPAA — The people in the community make this all worthwhile, said Kauai Fire Capt. Colin Wilson of the Kaiakea Fire Station Sunday at the Safeway store. Wilson said firefighters from Kauai fire stations and the Lihue Crash Fire and
KAPAA — The people in the community make this all worthwhile, said Kauai Fire Capt. Colin Wilson of the Kaiakea Fire Station Sunday at the Safeway store.
Wilson said firefighters from Kauai fire stations and the Lihue Crash Fire and Rescue were manning positions in front of retail stores and shopping centers to collect funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in the annual Fill the Boot campaign Sunday and Monday.
“This is a national initiative with the firefighters union,” Wilson said. “Firefighters across the country are doing fundraising for the MDA. It is one of the largest efforts for the union.”
Previously, the effort was known as the Jerry Lewis telethon, but more recently, it simply is a fundraising and awareness effort for the MDA known as the Labor Day telethon. This year’s theme is “Show of Strength.”
Wilson said all of the fire stations on Kauai have annually contributed between $12,000 to $15,000 to the MDA, which battles muscular dystrophy and diseases of the nervous system.
The money goes to help the MDA with its research and helping young people attend summer camps.
“We have been doing this for as long as I can remember, and each year, the people have been very generous,” Wilson said. “This is very heartwarming and makes the effort worthwhile. If it wasn’t for this outpouring, we probably wouldn’t be here.”
