Mobile Fire-Rescue Boot Drive Returns Nov. 12-14 for Two Charities

MOBILE, Ala. — Shoppers heading out this weekend may find a firefighter holding out a boot at the store entrance. The Mobile Fire-Rescue boot drive returns Thursday, Nov. 12, through Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, with firefighters collecting donations for the Dumas Wesley Community Center and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Crews will be stationed at four busy retail locations across the city each day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Every dollar dropped into a boot goes toward the two organizations, which serve people in need here at home and families affected by neuromuscular disease.

Where to Find the Mobile Fire-Rescue Boot Drive

Residents who want to give can look for firefighters at these spots during collection hours:

• Rouses in Spring Hill Shopping Center
• Sam’s Club at Springdale Mall
• Walmart on Schillinger Road
• Walmart at Tillman’s Corner

Hours at all four locations run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Drivers and pedestrians are encouraged to use care around collection areas, and to give only when it is safe to do so.

Building on Last Year’s $20,000

The annual drive has become a dependable source of support for both beneficiaries. Last year, Mobile Fire-Rescue collected $20,000, splitting it evenly so that Dumas Wesley and the Muscular Dystrophy Association each received $10,000.

Firefighters are hoping to build on that total this year with help from the community. Department leaders said they are excited to carry the tradition forward and proud of the chance to meet residents face to face while raising money for two partners that work every day to help people who are struggling.

Who Benefits

Dumas Wesley Community Center

The Dumas Wesley Community Center is a Mobile nonprofit that offers programs and services for underserved individuals and families. Leadership at the center said they are deeply thankful to Mobile Fire-Rescue, the Mobile Firefighters’ Foundation and everyone who gives to the drive. The money, they said, helps keep vital programs running, and every gift, large or small, allows the center to extend its reach and serve more people.

Muscular Dystrophy Association

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a national nonprofit that funds research and provides care and support for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases. Firefighters have collected money for MDA through boot drives for decades; the association’s partnership with the International Association of Fire Fighters dates to 1954, making Fill the Boot a long-standing tradition in the fire service.

A Fire Service Tradition

The boot drive concept is simple. Firefighters, often in turnout gear, stand at intersections or storefronts holding an empty boot, and passersby drop in cash or change. The visible, hands-on nature of the campaign is part of its appeal: residents get to meet the people who respond to their emergencies, and firefighters get to give back in a different way.

The Mobile Firefighters’ Foundation is also part of the effort, and the beneficiaries have credited it alongside the department for making the drive possible.

How to Help

Anyone who wants to support the cause can stop by one of the four locations between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. from Nov. 12 to Nov. 14. Even a small donation adds up over three days of collections.

For more ways to get involved around the Port City, check out upcoming community events and the latest Mobile news on South Alabama News.