NAPLES - Members of the North Collier Professional Fire Fighters Local 2297 will finish off their annual Fill the Boot fundraising campaign to benefit children and adults affected by muscle disease in Southwest Florida. “Throughout 2018, MDA and fire fighters are celebrating 64 years of proud partnership, joined together in the fight against life-threatening muscle disease”, said Executive Director, Cindy Nichols. “Fire fighters do more for MDA and the families we serve than any other group. In the Naples area, they spend countless hours every year participating in Fill the Boot drives and at MDA Summer Camp. We’re grateful for the support of these inspiring, selfless individuals who have made a profound impact on our families’ health, well-being and quality of life.” Members of the North Collier Professional Fire Fighters Local 2297 will be at the intersection of Vanderbilt Beach Rd. & Airport Pulling Rd. N. Saturday, June 2 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Funds raised through the 2018 Fill the Boot event will help support MDA’s programs of worldwide research, specialized health care services at the MDA Clinic in Sarasota, FL, and day-to-day support which includes sending children affected by muscular dystrophy and related diseases to a weeklong, barrier-free MDA summer camp at the Florida Elks Youth Camp in Umatilla, Florida. As the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s largest national sponsor, the IAFF fuels MDA’s mission to find treatments and cures for life-threatening muscle diseases. IAFF support for MDA began in 1954 when the organization committed by proclamation to support MDA until a cure is found, and the organization’s unwavering commitment to MDA has remained strong to this day. The IAFF raised $100,000 for MDA in 1955, and $1 million in 1970, and fire fighters continue to raise the bar in their fundraising efforts. In 2013, more than 100,000 fire fighters participated in Fill the Boot events across the country and raised $26.2 million. To date the IAFF has raised $530 million for MDA. About the IAFF The International Association of Fire Fighters represents more than 300,000 professional fire fighters and paramedics who protect 85 percent of the nation’s population. More than 3,200 affiliates and their members protect communities in every state in the United States and in Canada. About MDA The Muscular Dystrophy Association is the world’s leading nonprofit health agency dedicated to saving and improving the lives of anyone with muscle disease, including muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neuromuscular diseases. It does so by funding worldwide research to find treatments and cures; by providing comprehensive health care services and support to MDA families nationwide; and by rallying communities to fight back through advocacy, fundraising and local engagement. Visit mda.org and follow us at facebook.com/MDAnational and @MDAnews.