Update: There is no collection site at Meridian and 24th Street in Edgewood.

Firefighters from East Pierce Fire and Rescue will be collecting donations for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) through the annual “Fill the Boot” campaign at five collection sites throughout the fire district.

– Friday, June 12, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Valley Avenue and Main Street in Sumner

– Thursday, June 18, from 6 to 9 a.m. 19th Avenue and Milton Way in Milton

– Friday, June 19, from 2 to 6 p.m. at South Prairie Road East and 199th Avenue in

Bonney Lake

– Thursday, June 25, from 6 to 9 a.m. and again from 3 to 6 p.m. at 9th Street and 182nd

Avenue East in Lake Tapps

The Fill the Boot campaign is sponsored by the East Pierce firefighters, International Association of Firefighters Local 3520. The money they raise assists families affected by muscular dystrophy in the Sumner, Lake Tapps, Edgewood, Milton, South Prairie and Bonney Lake communities.

This year, says East Pierce Firefighter Matt Reinke, the goal is to raise $10,000.

For the second year, Reinke will lead the event, organizing the 25-30 East Pierce firefighters who volunteer their time over the course of the four-day campaign. His connection with Fill the Boot began even before he became a firefighter. “I remember being a kid and helping my dad and the Sumner Fire Department do the Fill the Boot,” he said. “The best part of this event for me is seeing how much our community gives back for this great cause.”

The MDA is a voluntary health agency founded in 1950 to fight 43 neuromuscular diseases, including ALS or Lou Gehrigs Disease, which affect millions of Americans. The term muscular dystrophy describes a group of diseases characterized by the degeneration of voluntary muscles.

The Association’s programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors. MDA seeks no government grants, United Way funding or fees from those it serves.