For the first time in 13 years you'll be seeing firefighters on the corner of busy Independence streets.
They're raising money for Muscular Dystrophy in a fundraising drive that has been around nationally since the 50s.
But in Independence, safety concerns brought the Fill the Boot campaign to a halt back in 2003.
"It was very frustrating. I understand the council action years ago the problems that we had. But it was unfortunate they took that ability away from us to participate in this fundraiser," said Kirk Stobart, president of Professional Firefighters of Independence, Local 781.
The problems stemmed from young children raising money on the street corners and darting in and out of traffic.
Still, Independence was one of the few departments in the nation not allowed to raise money for MDA.
But after much work from Stobart, firefighters and the city council, street soliciting was unanimously passed.
“It’s an honor to help and assist the MDA families, children, everybody affected by the disease,” said Stobart.
There are strict rules in place for street soliciting:
- Groups raising money must be non-profits
- They must have insurance
- It’s only for streets with a speed limit less than 40 mph
- Collectors must wear safety vests
Crews said this is a day they’ve waited on for years.
"The kids not only need help for the research but also it sends them to camp and gets them the equipment they need. The money goes to a lot more than just the research,” said Stobart.
Firefighters said they will be lining intersections all weekend and that every donation counts.
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Belinda Post can be reached at belinda.post@kshb.com.
