Fill your boots: Summerside's fire department wraps up muscular dystrophy fundraiser

The Summerside Fire Department spent some of the weekend atop a ladder truck at the Atlantic Superstore and asked for their firefighter boots to be filled with cash.

It was all in an effort to raise money and awareness for muscular dystrophy.

The fundraiser usually happens around Easter.

"It got cancelled this year due to COVID," says Wally MacAusland, the department's safety officer.

MacAusland said he thinks it is important to show those who may have muscular dystrophy that the community is there to support them, especially during the pandemic.

"It's something that the fire department has been supporting since 1954," he said.

He said all the money goes to support Island families.

MacAusland said the event was moved to line up with Thanksgiving weekend and the end of Fire Prevention Week.

Firefighters took four-hour shifts atop a ladder truck to make up a full 24 hours.

"I did the 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. shift," MacAusland said. "It was pretty chilly."

He said the ladder was only about eight-metres high. It was too windy to extend it higher.

He said the support the fire department got over the weekend was "amazing."

Summerside resident Judy Gallant was one of many who came by to drop off a cash donation.

"It's wonderful.Summerside is not a large place. I'm sure most people know some, if not all, of the volunteer firefighters that are on the SummersideFireDepartment.

"They are out there in the community, they are well-respected, people appreciate what they do and they want to give back."

Gallant said she knows that many fire departments in Canada raise money for the same cause, but she said she hopes her local fire departmentmanages to raise the most.

There is no final tallyyet. MacAusland said it is typically around $4,500.

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