Four Red Deer firefighters will brave the elements this month doing a roof-top fundraiser to help fight muscular dystrophy.
Fire medic June Miller and three colleagues will climb up onto the roof of the 67th Street fire station at 2 p.m. on Feb. 24. They will remain up there — eating, sleeping and playing board games — until they descend on the afternoon of Feb. 27.
The public can donate to their campaign at the fire station or during roadside boot drives the firefighters will be holding in a blocked off lane of traffic in front of the station.
Miller said she’s hoping to get a space heater to help keep warm when temperatures plunge at night. She also plans to wear snow pants and a winter jacket under her firefighting gear because, “I hate being cold!”
Annual rooftop fundraising campaigns have become a tradition for firefighters across Canada. They have been raising money to fight muscular dystrophy for 50 years. The rooftop drive has happened in Red Deer for three years.
About $15,000 was raised in 2016, said Miller, while this year’s goal is $20,000.
Muscular dystrophy is a a hereditary condition marked by the progressive weakening and wasting of muscles. People with the condition have a shortened lifespan, living from 30 to 50 years.