OLDS — Members of the Olds Fire Department are starting their annual rooftop campout to raise funds for muscular dystrophy today.
It begins at 12 noon Friday, May 10 and ends at 12 noon on Sunday, May 12.
Firefighters climb up to the roof of the fire hall and camp out in a little tent pitched there until Sunday afternoon. Money is collected via volunteers outside the fire hall.
This year’s goal is $10,000, says Matt Williams, a member of the organizing committee.
That’s the same figure posted on a sign during last year’s campaign, during which $7,550 was raised, short of the $10,000 goal listed on a sign on the fire hall lawn during that weekend.
Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a collection of rare inherited conditions that cause muscles to weaken and break down over time.
As a result, those afflicted can lose the ability to walk and may eventually need a wheelchair to get around.
There’s no known cure for the disease, but some treatments can help patients cope with it to some degree.
During an interview with the Albertan, Williams said as in past years, various activities are planned to spur interest in the campaign.
Those activities include an open house at the fire hall and an opportunity for kids to use a hose to put out “fires” in a small cutout of a house.
Once again, firefighters camped out on the roof will shoot a T-shirt out of a cannon for everyone who donates to the campaign.
The ever-popular fitness class, which some firefighters participate in while in full gear, is expected to be held again as well.
Also, volunteers will be out with firefighter boots asking people to drop some cash into them.
