Left to right, Bloomfield Township Firefighter/Paramedic Alec Fowler, Bloomfield Township Fire Department Administration Assistant Kelly Lagarde, Bloomfield Township Fire Lt. Chris Hull, Muscular Dystrophy Association Account Manager Stacey Breitlow, and Bloomfield Township Fire Capt. Mike Sova pose with a $16,000 check raised at a recent “Fill the Boot” event.
By: Mary Beth Almond | Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle | Published December 16, 2024
BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP — The Bloomfield Township Fire Department recently raised $16,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Stacey Breitlow, the MDA account manager for firefighter partnerships, accepted the check on behalf of the organization Dec. 9. Breitlow said she was amazed by the amount raised by the Fire Department during the one-day “Fill the Boot” event.
“You guys are rock stars,” she said during the presentation. “We are now celebrating 70 years in our partnership with the International Association of Firefighters. For 2024, we are looking at over $10.5 million raised for MDA, here in Michigan.”
“Fill the Boot” invites firefighters and their family members to volunteer to collect donations from residents at various locations, including parking lots and high-traffic intersections.
Lt. Chris Hull, president of the Bloomfield Township Fire Department Charities, said approaching people for donations right before Thanksgiving seemed to “be the perfect time.”
“They are feeling grateful and giving,” he said in a statement.
Funds donated to the MDA help support research, along with their summer camp program. Young individuals — ages 8 to 17 with neuromuscular disease — have the opportunity to attend overnight camps around the U.S. at no cost to their families.
Michigan’s camp is held at Camp Cavell in Lexington. There are also six MDA Care Centers in the state and over 9,000 individuals currently living with neuromuscular disease.
Hull spoke about the importance of raising funds for individuals living with muscular dystrophy and their families.
“We get to see the fruits of our labor. We stay connected with these kids and we see how the money we raise can make a serious impact,” he said in a statement.
To learn more about the research and resources, and to donate to the MDA, visit www.mda.org.