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Firefighters will make 130-mile walk to Richmond for muscular dystrophy awareness

Posted at 11:14 AM, Mar 19, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-19 11:14:27-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Two Suffolk firefighters will hike 130 miles in an effort to raise money and awareness for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Suffolk Fire Medic Joe Jarman and Lt. Travis Saunders will leave Neptune’s Park in Virginia Beach on March 23. The duo hopes to arrive at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond on March 29.

The 130-mile trek will kick off the annual Fill-the-Boot fundraiser, where firefighters collect donations for kids and adults with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases.

Jarman and Saunders will rest at fire stations along the way. They will also engage with people impacted by neuromuscular disease, as well as other firefighters from across the state joining them in their final “MDA Mile.”

“I would love for people who are directly affected by muscular dystrophy, family, friends and fire departments to walk that final mile with us. I don’t want it to be about me. I want it to be about us and the cause. We need to show that we are together in this, and we can finish it together," Jarman said.

The "MDA Mile" will be on Friday, March 29 at 12 p.m. at the parking lot across from Main Street Train Station, 1500 E Main St, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Over the last 65 years, firefighters across this country have raised more than $650 million dollars for MDA to help fund groundbreaking research and lifesaving and life-changing treatments and therapies.

You can follow Joe and Travis’ march on Facebook and Twitter, with live feeds beginning March 23.

The route details are as listed:

March 24 – Neptune Park in Virginia Beach to Chesapeake Station 3 – 1826 Rokeby Ave., Chesapeake, Va. 23320

March 25 – Chesapeake Fire Station 3 to Suffolk Fire Station 5 – 3901 Bridge Rd., Suffolk, Va. 23435

March 26 – Suffolk Fire Station 5 to IOW Rushmere Volunteer Fire Station – 5354 Old Stage Hwy, Smithfield, Va. 23430 (Smithfield Fire Department will pick up and take the two to their fire station and return to starting point in the morning)

March 27 – IOW Rushmere Volunteer Fire Station to Charles City Volunteer Fire Station – 14330 Wilcox Neck Rd., Charles City, Va. 23030

March 28 – Charles City Volunteer Fire Station to Henrico Fire Station 4 – 8112 Strath Rd., Richmond, Va. 23231 (Henrico Fire will pick up and take to Fire Station 18 to spend the night and bring back in the morning to start their last day)

March 29 – Henrico Fire Station 4 to Richmond Main Street Train Station parking lot to meet up with families and then to Virginia State Capitol Building at 1000 Bank St., Richmond, Va. 23219

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