Fairfax County Local 2068 member Joel Kobersteen, who also serves as the local’s MDA coordinator, was honored September 7 as Fairfax County 2018 Career Fire Fighter of the Year for his service to the community and for his support of MDA. Kobersteen has built a robust Fill the Boot program, raising more than $6 million for MDA since taking on the role as coordinator in 2007.
Kobersteen says the key is getting members involved. “If our active and retired members are not out at the intersections filling the boot, our dispatcher members are raising money in other creative ways – such as raffles and auctions.”
In 2018, Local 2068 raised more than $604,000 over the Labor Day weekend.
IAFF-MDA Coordinator Roger Lopez, a member of San Antonio, TX Local 624 – along with National Director of Organizational Partnerships for MDA Tracy Shield Denton – was in Virginia for the award ceremony and to congratulate Kobersteen. “It was well-worth the trip,” says Lopez. “Joel has worked tirelessly over the years to raise the money MDA needs for research, adaptive equipment and camps. I didn’t want to miss it.”
