KFD out in full force this week raising money for MDA

Every penny counts.

That’s often the unofficial motto of any fundraising campaign.

The same could be true for “Jerry’s Kids,” a national program started by actor and singer Jerry Lewis in partnership with the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

For decades, the “Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon” brought awareness to the disease of muscular dystrophy, which, according to the National Institutes of Health, affects roughly 250,000 people in the United States.

And for decades, the International Association of Firefighters has been one of MDA’s biggest supporters through its Fill the Boot campaign.

The premise is simple, and it is just as it sounds.

You pull up to a street corner near a fire station, roll down the car window and place money into a rubber boot extended to you by a firefighter.

And you get a sticker for your efforts.

But while the premise is simple, the results can be lifechanging.

Since 1954, the IAFF has raised over $700 million for muscular dystrophy and neuromuscular disease research, making it the top fundraising partner in MDA history.

Nicole Duff, a chauffeur with the Kokomo Fire Department, estimates hundreds of thousands of dollars of that has come from Howard County alone.

Duff — the department’s MDA coordinator for over 20 years — believes KFD has been involved with the Fill the Boot campaign since the early 1970s, and she told the Tribune she’s proud to be a part of it.

“To be able to stand out there and be able to help out people with this disease,” she said, “just to see the smile on people’s faces when you present them the check or the smile on the kids’ faces and the families, it’s all worth it.”

And these last few years, local officials noted, have been record breaking for KFD.

Last year saw the department’s largest donation, as well as one of the largest donations in Indiana, and Duff said their goal this year is $40,000.

Kevin Cox, KFD Division Chief of Communications, believes they can get there.

“This city is such a giving community,” he said, adding he’s seen people throw money as high as $100 bills into the boot. “People come through every year. … Kokomo cares about its community, but MDA is national. So not only does Kokomo care about its community, but it cares for the whole country when it comes to kids that are sick.”

And no donation is too small either, Cox noted.

“Whether it’s $1 or $100, it all adds up in the end,” he said. “I mean, firefighters, whether it’s pulling people out of a building on fire or whether it’s collecting money for disease research, it’s all about saving lives.

“We take on this job to save lives, but saving a life doesn’t always mean from a fire,” Cox added. “One of these days, they’re going to find a cure for this thing (muscular dystrophy), but it takes money. That’s where we step in.”

KFD Chief Paul Edwards agreed with Cox.

“It’s just a total community outpouring,” he said. “And even if people have a sticker on their window or dashboard, they’re going to stop and give again somewhere else because it’s a very giving community. This always reaffirms that.”