Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Buffalo Professional Firefighters Local 282, alongside Buffalo Sabres representatives are holding their annual Fill-the-Boot drive to help aid in research for spinal muscle atrophy (SMA), the #1 genetic cause of death among children under 2 years of age.
On Thursday, August 4th from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. firefighters will be on corners throughout the City of Buffalo collecting money to benefit S.M.A.R.T. (Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Team) for the genetic condition that affects 1 in 6,000 new births.
The volunteers, firefighters and Sabres will be asking for donations on the following street corners:
- Oak & Genesee
- Elm & Swan - Dan Dunleavy
- Niagara St. 190 Exit
- Delaware & Hertel
- Skyway & Church - Pat Kaleta
- Seneca & Bailey - Martin Biron
- Abbott & Red Jacket
SMA is a motor neuron disease that attacks muscles that control crawling, walking, head & neck control & swallowing.
SMART is a grassroot organization helping raise funds and awareness for the disease. To date, the have raised over $2 million dollars for aid in research, $250,000 of that is from the efforts of the firefighters over the last several years.
"To have that $250,000 in cash over the years donated to us, is an unbelievable blessing. We have two big sponsors that cover all of our expenses. So we can say, with all certainty, that every nickel that the firefighters give us or everybody outside of these two sponsors goes directly to our researcher directly to families that we try to help," Marty Maloney says, CEO and Chairman of SMART.
AUDIO: Hear SMART's Marty Maloney and Buffalo Firefighters' Sean Eagen on A New Morning with Susan and Brian
"We support it once a year. We come out, we collect some money and several years back, six or seven years ago now we decided to switch (charities) to SMART because of the great work that SMART is doing locally. We know where the money's going and we know that it's all going for the right cause and so we feel our support behind it," said Sean Eagen, Buffalo Professional Firefighter.
In addition to the annual fundraiser, SMART is holding their 14th Annual SMART celebration at the KeyBank Center on Saturday, August 6th from 1 p.m. to 6. More details on that is available to you on SMART's website, click here.