For the first time, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties are uniting to help raise money to fight neuromuscular diseases at the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Fill the Boot fundraiser.

Firefighters will fill their boots for "Jerry's Kids" from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat., Dec. 13 at the intersection of Sycamore and Cochran in Simi Valley.

Firefighters will be dressed in uniform and stationed on all four corners of the intersection. A reserve engine will be parked on the corner with a "Fill the Boot" banner. Firefighters will hold out their rubber boots, giving passing cars and pedestrians the opportunity to drop in currency as donations to MDA.

Funds will be used locally to send children to MDA's weeklong summer camp and to fund research, purchase medical equipment and support patient services programs.

Individuals diagnosed with one of the neuromuscular diseases MDA covers receive these services free of charge. MDA also funds more than 400 research projects worldwide.