Barrington firefighters want to say thanks to all the people who donated during the recent "fill the boot" fund-raiser at the Barrington Shopping Center.

On Saturday, Sept. 3, about a dozen members of the Barrington Fire Department volunteered their time to collect money from motorists as they pulled to the stop lights in front of the shopping center. The event is called "fill the boot" because firefighters often collect the money inside actual fire department boots.

This year, the local firefighters collected nearly $4,500 in just four hours of work.

"We just want to thank all the people who helped out," said one of the local firefighters. "All the money we collect goes directly to MDA."

The funds collected are donated to the Rhode Island Chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The money helps fund research projects that are working to find cures for diseases, and also pays for children to attend MDA summer camps. 

Firefighters across the country first began "filling the boot" for MDA back in 1954 and have pledged to keep up their efforts "until a cure is found."

During the recent "fill the boot" outside the Barrington Shopping Center, firefighters found that an overwhelming amount of motorists showed their support for the fund-raiser. 

The participating firefighters were off-duty while helping with the fund-raiser. The firefighters also chose to conduct the fund-raiser earlier in the day — from 8 a.m. to noon — when traffic outside the shopping center was not as congested.