Burgers, Boots and Big Hearts: Firefighters Flip Patties to Fuel Hope at Annual MDA Burger Bash

By Marisa Dawson

Volunteers serving food at a community event, with two people behind a table and others receiving food. — FF/EMT Kennedy Karschner serves up burgers

Burgers were on the grill, children bounced in an inflatable, families climbed through fire trucks, and heads turned skyward Sunday afternoon as a LifeNet Omaha helicopter touched down outside Bennington Fire & Rescue.

The department’s annual Burger Bash once again combined food, family fun and community connection, all while raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) through the firefighters’ Fill the Boot campaign.

Hosted in partnership with the Bennington Professional Firefighters Local 3150, the event invited attendees from across Bennington and surrounding areas to make a donation in exchange for a burger meal while spending time with firefighters and emergency medical crews outside of emergency situations.

Two young men cooking at a grill station outdoors, with one man flipping food and the other preparing items. They are wearing matching blue shirts and gloves, with a towel around the neck of the man on the right. A yellow caution tape reading 'FIRE LINE DO NOT CROSS' is visible in the foreground. — FF/EMTs Cole Keller & Darek Schuller grill patties as community members line up.

For Union President and Firefighter Jordan Smith, the fundraiser reflects a partnership that has existed between firefighters and the MDA for generations.

“The International Association of Firefighters who we’re associated with, they’ve supported the MDA for a long time,” Smith said. “As us being a new local, we wanted to help with what they were doing.”

The partnership between firefighters and the Muscular Dystrophy Association dates back more than 70 years. In 1954, members of Boston Firefighters Local 718 began collecting donations in their boots after families affected by muscular dystrophy asked for help. The effort quickly grew into the now-iconic “Fill the Boot” campaign, and that same year the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) officially adopted MDA as its charity of choice. Since then, IAFF members across the United States and Canada have raised more than $700 million through Fill the Boot campaigns and other fundraisers, helping support medical research, specialized care, summer camps and programs for individuals living with neuromuscular diseases.

A group of three men interacting inside a building, with one man examining items on a red table. The table displays yellow and black boots, while another man looks on smiling. — FF/Paramedic Eric Shockley welcomes guests and encourages free-will donations as they arrive.

Smith said the cause has become even more meaningful as the MDA has expanded research into ALS and other neuromuscular diseases, while continuing to support families living with those conditions.

“It’s another part of how we can help our community,” he added.

That impact isn’t just theoretical.

Smith pointed to local families, including one 11-year-old Bennington child whose progressive neuromuscular disease has required the use of a wheelchair, as a reminder that the organization’s work reaches people close to home.

“I’ve seen Tyler come here for the last three years and I’ve got to watch him walk and be a normal kid to now where we know his illness is progressing to a point where he needs a wheelchair and more specialized equipment,” Smith said. “People do care. People are in your corner. People are fighting for you.”

An additional fundraiser will be held for Tyler this Saturday, July 25, from 10am-2pm at St. Vincent de Paul Church in order to help raise funds for an accessible van

In addition to funding research, money raised through the MDA also helps support experiences such as specialized summer camps designed for children with mobility challenges, giving them opportunities to participate in activities tailored to their needs.

Bennington Fire Chief Dan Mallory said the event has evolved from the traditional Fill the Boot collections firefighters once conducted on street corners into a larger community celebration.

“The fire service, we’ve always had that partnership with the MDA to help kids that are in need and our way to give back to the community again,” Mallory said. “So as the fire department, we’re so proud to host this event, working hand in hand with our career firefighters who raise the money for the MDA.”

A community gathering at a fire station where families are being served food. Adults and children are lined up at a table filled with dishes, with volunteers serving meals. The interior features a casual and welcoming atmosphere.

While fundraising remains the goal, both Smith and Mallory agreed the event’s greatest value extends beyond the dollar amount collected.

For firefighters, it provides an opportunity to meet residents during moments of joy rather than crisis.

“We’ve had a tough week here at the fire department on shifts and on calls,” Smith said. “It’s nice that today I’ve talked to three people that we’ve changed their lives based on the things we’ve done on runs. So it’s nice that we get to see and talk to them in a positive light and not just on their worst day ever.”

Mallory echoed that, saying seeing former patients return healthy and reconnecting with firefighters makes the day especially rewarding.

“We had people who were patients that we transported to hospital, and it’s good to see them up and doing well and reconnecting with the community again,” he said. “It’s just people coming in and meeting us at a time where it’s not an emergency.”

Throughout the afternoon, children eagerly explored fire apparatus, while many visitors lined up for a closer look at the LifeNet Omaha helicopter, which landed outside the station before later taking off to the excitement of the crowd.

The helicopter’s appearance marked a new addition to this year’s event, made possible through a connection with LifeNet flight medic Susie Needham, whose son, Jake Needham, serves as a firefighter/paramedic with Bennington Fire & Rescue.

Mallory hopes it becomes a recurring feature.

“The kids love it,” he said. “The adults, as we saw take off, the adults are outside watching. We’re all like little kids; this is fun to watch.”

Three medical personnel pose outside a helicopter, wearing flight suits and smiling. The helicopter features medical insignia and is parked on a concrete surface with trees in the background. — Left to Right: Life Net Flight Medics Susie Needham, John Luther, and Shannon Williams

LifeNet Omaha RN Flight Medic Shannon Williams said participating in community events helps residents better understand the role air medical crews play across the region.

“This is part of our response area,” Williams said. “So we always try to get out to the community and do the best that we can to allow the community and different fire departments to show our involvement and just to be a part of what they have going on.”

Visitors were able to step up to the aircraft, ask questions about the specialized equipment carried onboard and learn when helicopter transport is used.

Two young girls standing next to a blue helicopter on a sunny day, with emergency medical equipment in the background.

A young boy sitting on a seat inside an emergency vehicle, looking curiously while a man, presumably an adult or parent, sits next to him, both smiling. The scene is set in a bright, outdoor environment.

Williams said those conversations help clear up misconceptions.

“I feel like it’s very important because some people really don’t know what we do and what we provide and the services that are available to them in the event they need them,” she said. “A lot of people see a helicopter and they see dollar signs. But actually being out here and talking to us, we can explain… we’re here to take care of them.”

The crew hopes to return to Bennington for future events.

For Smith, the annual event ultimately represents something larger than a fundraiser.

“The community,” he said when asked what defines success. “They’re coming out here to help us do a positive thing for people we will never know.”

Although the money raised in Bennington helps support families nationwide, Smith said the benefits extend far beyond the community’s borders through research that continues to improve treatments and quality of life for people living with neuromuscular diseases, even those living right here in our own community.

As families finished lunch, children played and visitors lingered around the fire trucks and helicopter, the afternoon reflected another side of the fire service: one built not around emergencies, but around neighbors coming together to support one another.