City firefighter helps fight more than fire
From staff reportPARKERSBURG - A Parkersburg firefighter recently responded to an important call for assistance, but it didn't have anything to do with a fire.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association has been calling on the International Association of Firefighters for help for more than 54 years, said Annie Schultheis, regional public affairs coordinator. Fundraisers, called Fill-The-Boot drives, are the primary means by which the IAFF has raised nearly $300 million for MDA since 1954, she said.
Schultheis said firefighter Jody Ludwig did more than merely Fill-The-Boot. Recently, Ludwig spent an entire day attending an MDA summer camp and spending time with the kids.
Available to individuals 6-21 years old, MDA camp is one of the services offered to MDA families to provide children affected with a neuromuscular disease the chance to be outside, make new friends, and experience what it's like to attend summer camp, Schultheis said.
Ludwig added to their experience by bringing up his fire equipment and tools, giving the kids the chance to feel like a firefighter by dressing up in the uniform and gear, Schultheis said.
Jason Matthews, Parkersburg IAFF president, has also donated his time to the cause. Matthews pitches in to help MDA by attending various fundraising events.
"Both men and other members of Local 91 have selflessly pledged their support to MDA and local families living with a muscular disease," Schultheis said.
MDA supports services locally and nationally, including medical clinics staffed with specialists in muscle disease and accessible summer camps for kids, Schultheis said.
Local clinics and camps benefiting from MDA fundraisers include West Virginia University Hospital and the MDA Summer Camp held in June at Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley.
