On Thursday, Aug. 3, from 6:30 to 9 a.m., 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 be joined by current and former Sabres players, as well as Sabretooth, at 7:30 a.m. on four of seven corners throughout the City of Buffalo, collecting funds.

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

1. Oak & Genesee - Justin Bailey

2. Elm & Swan

3. Niagara St. 190 Exit - Sabretooth

4. Delaware & Hertel

5. Skyway & Church - Patrick Kaleta

6. Seneca & Bailey

7. 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. Spinal Muscular Atrophy or SMA is the No. 1 genetic cause of death amongst children less than 2 years old, affecting nearly 1 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 novel research avenues that may lead to life-altering therapies for SMA.

For more details, please visit www.smarthope.com SMART will hold their Ninth Annual SMART Celebration at KeyBank Center on Saturday, Aug. 5 from 1 to 6 p.m.

For more information:

Marty Maloney - SMART (716) 983-3485

Sean Eagen - Buffalo Firefighters (716) 713-5600