Red Deer firefighters raised between $18,000 and $20,000 for people with muscular dystrophy thanks to a rooftop fundraiser in February.
Four fire-medics camped out on the roof of Fire Station #2 for a weekend during the third annual Rooftop Camp-out for Muscular Dystrophy.
They took to the roof on Feb. 24 and slept in cots inside a tent until Feb. 27. They were only allowed down for washroom breaks.
Last year Red Deer firefighters raised $15,000.
Amanda Race, revenue development manager with Muscular Dystrophy Canada AB/NWT, said eight fire departments in Alberta participate in the rooftop campaign.
“Firefighters have been our main supporters since 1954 and they’ve been doing fundraising since then,” Race said.
“Rooftops have really taken off in Alberta. It’s great to see all the firefighters that get out there and go up on the roof and take time away from their family and their jobs to support us when it’s really cold out.”
She said the final rooftop campaign for the winter season finishes on Sunday in Lethbridge.
Calgary firefighters are the only ones who run their campaign in the summer to coincide with the Calgary Stampede. They may not have to deal with the cold, but they do have to endure the summer heat in their fire gear, she said.
Muscular dystrophy includes more than 100 types of neromuscular disorders characterized by wasting away and progressive weakness of the muscles that control voluntary movement. Over time they may lose their ability to walk, speak, and even breathe.
For more information go to www.muscle.ca.