Local firefighters, from left, Dylan Yankee, Vaughn Row, Ryan Creasy and Brett Allan will spend the weekend on the rooftop of Station No. 2 to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Canada during the annual "Rooftop Campout" fundraiser.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
With winds gusting up to 50 km/h Friday morning, four local firefighters ascended to the roof of Station No. 2 for a weekend campout to rise awareness and funding to support Muscular Dystrophy Canada, which provides programs, services, research and advocacy to support people affected by the neuromuscular disorder.
This year’s annual “Fill the Boot” or “Rooftop Campout” campaign marks a 70-year partnership between Canadian firefighters and Muscular Dystrophy Canada, becoming its largest national fundraiser.
“There’s about 160 different types of Muscular Dystrophy, so it’s a disease that affects more Canadians than people in the more southern regions of the world,” explains Dylan Gustafson, director of the Medicine Hat Firefighters Charitable Foundation. “There are over 50,000 Canadians with a form of this disease, and a lot of them are genetic diseases, for a lot of them there is no cure or solution.”
Gustafson explains funds raised from the campout will go toward helping make the lives of individuals affected by the disease more accessible, allowing them to more easily attend medical appointments and access medication.
“So it’s really, really critical and we just really appreciate it when people step up and donate,” adds Gustafson, who says this year the goal is to raise more than $15,000.
This year the four firefighters participating in the rooftop campout are Dylan Yankee, Brett Allen, Ryan Creasy and Vaughn Row.
They told the News they managed to place a TV on the rooftop and plan to cheer on the Medicine Hat Tigers during both weekend home playoff games. The group also hung a Tigers flag to show their support.
Firefighters and staff will be accepting cash, cheque and tap card donations at the firehall throughout the weekend. Donations can also be put in a firefighter’s boot that will be roped up to the four firefighters camping out on the rooftop.
Online donations can also be made, a link can be accessed through the Medicine Hat Fire and Emergency Service Facebook page.
All cheques are asked to be directed to Muscular Dystrophy Canada.
