Canadian IAFF members celebrated the 70th year of their partnership with Muscular Dystrophy Canada (MDC) the best way they know how: by fundraising through firehall rooftop campouts, roadway boot tolls and other community initiatives.
IAFF Locals, tapping into the generosity of community members, raised an estimated $945,000 in FY 2024 for MDC, funds that provide day-to-day assistance to people living with neuromuscular disorders and support vital research.
Stacey Lintern, the charity’s CEO, says she’s grateful to IAFF affiliates for the funds they raise and for holding Muscular Dystrophy Canada and the families it helps close to their hearts.
“Our commitment is that we are finding cures and lifechanging treatments and at the same time, doing our best to ensure the community has the best quality of life,” Lintern said. “I know that fire fighters support a lot of great causes, and we’re just so fortunate. Fire fighters are really a part of our DNA as an organization.”
The total raised by IAFF affiliates last year represents a dip of about 27% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Overall fundraising for the organization is down a third since COVID.
Lintern says the IAFF’s support has led to a life-changing breakthrough in the diagnosis and treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) within the last four years.
In the past, SMA was typically undetectable in a child until symptoms appeared—and by then, it was often too late to prevent the disorder from becoming fatal. But today, all newborns in Canada are tested for SMA, and if they test positive, gene therapy treatments are started within 17 days.
“These kids are now walking and running, you wouldn’t know they had a neuromuscular disorder. And fire fighters played a critical role in raising those funds that we invest in research,” Lintern said adding the race is now on to see if gene therapies can be used to develop treatments for 600 other types of neuromuscular disorders.
“This is the impact fire fighters have for families living with neuromuscular disease,” said General President Edward Kelly. “We are proud of the 70-year partnership the IAFF shares with MDC – and we’ll keep at it until a cure is found.”
In addition to the satisfaction of helping families affected by neuromuscular disorders, fire fighters may also experience professional development benefits from getting involved with MDC, at the local level or even as a volunteer member of their Board of Directors.
I know that fire fighters support a lot of great causes, and we’re just so fortunate. Fire fighters are really a part of our DNA as an organization.”
muscular dystrophy canada ceo stacey lintern
“We’re always looking for fire fighter board representation,” Lintern said. Board positions are open in September, including positions on the National Firefighter Relations Committee, which works with senior MDC staff on planning and strategy.
On June 19, Lintern and MDC National Ambassador Danielle Campo spoke to Local and provincial IAFF leaders at the Jack Jessop Biennial Canadian Policy Conference in Windsor.
Campo, a three-time Paralympian gold medalist and world record holder in swimming, inspired delegates with a moving story about the challenges she has overcome, including how she was misdiagnosed as having muscular dystrophy, when in fact she had spinal muscular atrophy. She is now a parent to two young children with the disorder.
“When our community meets with fire fighters, it’s like magic. They leave those conferences feeling like they’ve got all Canadian fire fighters behind them. And they can get through that next day.”
