The Rapid City Fire Department's Fill the Boot fund drive last week raised $42,882.56 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, far exceeding its $12,600 goal.
In fact, firefighters easily exceeded the initial goal, raising nearly $18,900 on the first day alone.
"MDA is going to be able to do a lot of things with this money. It will stay right here in South Dakota," said firefighter Jim Bussell.
Bussell said Rapid City's effort was No. 1 in a six-state region that included South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa, and even exceeded far larger cities like Minneapolis, population 370,000, whose 78 fire companies raised around $36,000.
Bussell said the fire department believes credit and thanks should go to the public and the community for its generosity and outpouring of support.
Bussell was especially touched by the act of a young boy, probably three years old, who dropped some money into the boot at the west side Family Thrift Center then returned an hour later lugging a Thomas the Train piggy bank. Bussell said the child's mother told him her son was adamant about giving the $11.60 in his piggy bank to the firemen to help sick kids.
"I actually had to step away for a minute. It got me kind of choked up, but that's the kind of people who came out," he said. "Absolutely a testament to the kind of people we have living here."
Billy Mitchell, another firefighter, said "phenomenal" doesn't do justice to describing the generosity of people and businesses who not only gave money, but provided food to the firefighters manning each boot. Mitchell said the public, the business community, the mayor and the city council deserve many thanks for the support and goodwill.
"I've been in the department 14 years and I've never seen morale so high," Mitchell said. "I've never made a hot response, with lights and sirens, without somebody ignoring me. The next call I did after Fill the Boot was about a two mile run through heavy traffic and not one car failed to yield. Not a single one. I've never seen that before in my life."
Bussell said enough money was raised to help send the 15 age-eligible kids in South Dakota who have a neuro-muscular disease to an MDA camp, plus will go a long way toward helping many of the 550 families in the state served by MDA.
"MDA's purpose is research to help find a cure, and also to help improve quality of life. So this money will go toward everything from research to helping buy wheelchairs and leg braces to paying for flu shots and initial clinic visits," he said.
During its Monday night meeting, the Rapid City council applauded the department's effort.
"Just remember," Mayor Alan Hanks said. "You set the bar awful high for next year."
Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415, or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com
