Firefighters hit nine Chattanooga locations to collect for Muscular Dystrophy Association
CHATTANOOGA — Members of the Chattanooga Fire Department and Chattanooga Fire Fighters Association Local 820 will take to area streets later this week for the annual Fill-the-Boot drive, raising money to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).
The fundraiser runs Thursday, Oct. 29, through Saturday, Oct. 31, with collection times from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Firefighters across Chattanooga will solicit donations at a series of intersections and high-traffic locations in neighborhoods spanning downtown, north Chattanooga, Hixson and other communities.
How it works and where to find crews
Fill-the-Boot is a long-standing partnership between local fire services and the MDA; firefighters nationwide have worked with the organization for more than 70 years to raise money and awareness for neuromuscular diseases. Locally, the funds support both research into treatments and therapies and MDA programs that provide care and assistance to affected families.
Collection sites in Chattanooga for this year’s drive include:
- Downtown — Riverfront Parkway at Chestnut Street
- Lookout Valley — Entrance to Walmart at Cummings Highway
- Highland Park — Central Avenue at Main Street
- Brainerd — Brainerd Road at Greenway View Drive
- Gunbarrel — Gunbarrel Road at Goodwin Road
- Bonny Oaks — Bonny Oaks at Claude Ramsey Parkway
- Hixson — Hixson Pike at Cassandra Smith Road
- Lupton City — Lupton Drive at Hixson Pike
- North Chattanooga — Cherokee Boulevard at Manufacturers Road
| Date | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 29–31 | 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | No street closures expected |
Community impact and practical details
Organizers said no streets or intersections will be closed during the event, meaning drivers should expect brief stops where firefighters are soliciting donations at curbside. The distributed locations are intended to capture commuter corridors, shopping centers and neighborhood arteries so residents across the city can support the drive without traveling far.
Locally raised dollars contribute to the MDA’s dual mission: funding research into treatments and therapies for neuromuscular diseases and providing care programs for families living with those conditions. The national partnership between firefighters and MDA has become a signature community fundraising effort, often delivering both money and increased public awareness about conditions such as muscular dystrophy.
For Chattanooga residents, the drive is a visible reminder of how first responders participate in the civic life of the city beyond emergency response. It also offers a straightforward opportunity for people to convert small, everyday interactions — a stop at an intersection or a quick visit to a nearby store — into support for local families affected by chronic disease.
Safety is a priority for crews during collection hours. Residents and drivers approaching collection points are asked to be mindful of on-foot volunteers and to follow any directions from firefighters on site. While the charity drive is a routine event for the department, organizers note that its success depends on regular everyday donations from residents and visitors who encounter crew members while running errands or commuting.
Chattanooga’s Fill-the-Boot drive is part of a broader set of community activities through which municipal employees and local unions engage the public on charitable causes. For those unable to donate in person at one of the collection sites, the MDA and local fire associations often maintain alternative giving channels; residents can check official MDA or Chattanooga Fire Department communications for additional options.
As crews fan out across nine locations this week, the hope is that neighborhood-level encounters will add up to meaningful support for research and care that reach beyond the city limits but begin with Chattanooga’s own neighborhoods.
