Buffalo Sabres joining Buffalo firefighters to 'fill the boot'

From 7-9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 1, the Buffalo Firefighters will hold their annual fill the boot program, with this year’s proceeds going to the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Team (SMART). The firefighters will once again be joined by Sabres representatives, who will be collecting funds at 7:30 a.m. at select fill the boot corners throughout the City of Buffalo.

The Buffalo Fire Department will be collecting on the following corner sites:

• Oak & Genesee
• Elm & Swan
• Niagara Street 190 Exit – Sabretooth
• Delaware & Hertel
• Skyway & Church – Pat Kaleta
• Seneca & Bailey
• Abbott & Red Jacket Way – Andrew Peters

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disease. The motor neurons affect the voluntary muscles that are used for activities such as crawling, walking, head and neck control, and swallowing. SMA is the No. 1 genetic cause of death amongst children less than 2 years old, affecting nearly one in 6000 new births. Approximately one in 35 people carry a copy of the gene that causes SMA.

SMART is a grass-roots organization working to raise awareness and financial support for targeted research aimed at finding treatments and ultimately cures for SMA and related neuromuscular diseases. Currently, SMART is funding the laboratory of a world-renowned physician-scientist at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, who is working on research avenues that may lead to life-altering therapies for SMA.

SMART will hold its 11th annual SMART Celebration at KeyBank Center from 1-6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3. For more information, visit www.smarthope.com.