La Crosse Fire Dept. looking to the fill those boots

Campaign to help muscular dystrophy research

It might look odd, funny even, but it’s for a good cause.

If you see a fireman out at an intersection in La Crosse the next three days, they’re out to help kids and families with muscular dystrophy as part of their 10th Annual Fill the Boots campaign.

The La Crosse Fire Dept. is hoping to raise $12,000 this year. The money will benefit MDA research as well as help send kids with the disease to camps.

“It’s $2,000 per family,” coordinator Todd English said. “It’s a place for the kids to hang out with each other – parents free. They can do all the normal stuff they can’t usually do – football, fishing, basketball.

“You can just tell, after meeting some of the families, their eyes really light up talking about the camp.”

From 2:30-5:30 p.m. today and Wednesday, firemen will be at the Mormon Coulee Rd.-Losey Blvd. intersection. Thursday, they’ll be at La Crosse and Fourth.

“We hold our boots at the intersections and, at a red light, we walk up to cars that feel like putting some money in the boots,” English said. “Been doing it about 10 years. Seems to be the most bang for your buck.”

Muscular dystrophy affects between 400-600 newborns every year in the U.S.