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Fill the Boot yields $14,085
Muscular Dystrophy Association benefits
Boot filler
Ceres firefighters held their boots out for motorists who had to stop on Mitchell Road for Saturdays daylong Fill the Boot fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. - photo by Photo courtesy of Don Cool

After setting up a temporary set of stop signs for Mitchell Road traffic, off-duty Ceres firefighters collected an estimated $14,085 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association during Saturday's "Fill the Boot" collection effort.

The amount exceeded last year's collection effort of $12,600. The grand total includes donations collected on a website, firefighters using boots as cash receptacles in the street, and $500 donated by Kohl's Cares.

Stop signs and the signals were set to flash red at the entrance to In Shape City Health Club, meaning all cars had to stop as firefighters stood in the road positioned to collect cash for the charity. The firefighters received a lot of smiles and words of thanks and encouragement but also heard some negative comments from some who were upset at the delay.

"The people who were upset about the traffic," said Ceres Fire Engineer Joe Spani who spearheaded the event, "were such a small number compared to the actual number who drive through and gave a donation."

Most of the drivers were willing to drop change into the boot but some apologized for lacking any spare cash.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a non-profit health agency dedicated to curing MD by funding worldwide research. The MDA also puts on special weeklong summer camps for children afflicted with the disease.

Spani said approximately 20 firefighters joined in the effort with five spending the whole time there from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Joining in the effort were one Hughson firefighter, two Keyes firefighters, and three Stanislaus Consolidated firefighters.

With muscular dystrophy, muscles get progressively weaker. Symptoms range "from mild muscle weakness to complete paralysis of all voluntary muscles, including those used for breathing and swallowing," according to the MDA's website.