SANDPOINT — There isn't anywhere else they'd rather be.

Area firefighters have been taking part in Fill the Boot campaigns for years, helping raise both funds and awareness for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, said Nick Krom, Selkirk Fire, Rescue & EMS captain.

Area fire crews will be at the Sandpoint Super 1, 624 Larch St., from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. The community is invited to stop by and say hello to local firefighters, see the equipment they use to fight fires, and sit in a firetruck. 

"The firefighters love the interaction with the public, it's a two-fold benefit," Krom said. 

Not only does it allow local firefighters to stay in touch with the community they serve, it also raises invaluable funds for affected families who live in the region and educates the community about muscular dystrophy. 

"It's also always nice to see a kid light up when they get to sit in a firetruck, adults too," Krom told the Daily Bee. "At our last event, someone brought a Lynx on a leash into the grocery store. You have to love North Idaho."

Donations to MDA are invaluable in the fight against the disease — and in helping those who are living with muscular dystrophy. Funds raised through the local Fill the Boot drive help the MDA save lives and lift those up in need, by providing the MDA with vital resources and support, including state-of-the-art support groups and Care Centers, including the MDA Care Center at St. Luke’s Hospital in Spokane.

Continued support from the IAFF has enabled MDA to bring over 20 treatments to market in the last five years, and provide an in-person and virtual summer camp experience to more than 800 kids, Krom said. It also helps support over 150 facilities that provide families with the highest quality care from the best doctors in the country, Krom said.

"The International Association of Fire Fighters has been supporting the MDA since 1954, we've vowed to continue raising awareness and funds to ensure effective treatments and therapies are found," Krom said.

MDA’s Fill the Boot campaign is an honored tradition in which thousands of dedicated firefighters in hometowns across America hit the streets or storefronts asking pedestrians, motorists, customers and other passersby to make a donation to MDA. The Fill the Boot program has become more than a fundraising campaign — across the United States, these are annual events that mobilize neighbors to make a positive impact on the lives of children and adults living with neuromuscular diseases in their own communities. 

For those unable to make it to Saturday's Fill the Boot event, please go online to  filltheboot.donordrive.com/team/17206 to donate.