Jonesboro, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — May 9, 2025 — Firefighters from Jonesboro’s International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 3718 volunteered their time on Friday to Fill the Boot and raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).
Staked out in the intersection of Red Wolf Boulevard and Nettleton Avenue, the Local 3718’s goal for this year is to raise $10,000 for the MDA. Jonesboro Professional Firefighters Association of the IAFF Local 3718 vice president, Ethan Ivy, said the MDA has been the IAFF’s charity of choice for many years.
The Local 3718 has been supporting the MDA since around 1999, Ivy said.
“We’re looking at pretty close to 30 years of doing it here in Jonesboro, but it’s part of a tradition in the fire service that goes back 70 years now at least. Really, it’s the community here,” Ivy said. “They really go above and beyond. They’re very giving. Every year, you can see it… people are happy to give.”
The MDA raises money to fund care and research into finding cures for various neuromuscular degenerative diseases, such as muscular dystrophy or ALS. It helps both children and adults, hosting a summer camp for kids and helping adults find wheelchairs.
Ivy said all the money raised goes to the MDA and none goes to the fire department. He added that the Jonesboro firefighters love supporting the event.
“I started in 2017 and when I was a new guy, this was a great event to come out to and get to know a lot of the other firefighters around town that I might not necessarily get to see on shift or on other shifts and get out here and work together for a good cause. I love it. All the guys love it,” he said. “The amount of guys we have that are off duty and show up and volunteer their time, some of them spend all day out here. We’ll be out here probably till usually 5:30 to 6 o’clock when we start picking up, trying to get most of that during the day of traffic. We’ve been out here in the rain and wind.”
Although they do the one intersection, Ivy said there is always the possibility of expanding later on.
“There have been years where we’ve done other intersections, but right now, it seems like our best bet is to try and hold down one spot. It’s easier to keep it organized. This is a busy intersection, and we want to keep an eye on everybody and try and do this as safely as possible,” he said.
Ivy thanked the community’s donations.
“It’s all thanks to the community’s tremendous willingness to give to this amazing cause and we are very appreciative,” he said.