HOUGHTON – Houghton firefighters Tuesday had their boots not on the ground but outstretched toward motorists willing to donate for a good cause.

The department held its fourth annual Fill the Boot fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The money goes toward the Relay for Life of Houghton County held Thursday from 4 p.m. to midnight at McAfee Field in Hancock.

“We go to the Patriot Lap at Relay for Life, and they honor the fire department, so we figured we should raise some money for them,” said Keith Anderson of the department, who was collecting on College Avenue near the Memorial Union Building.

Firefighters were stationed at intersections around town in pairs to catch traffic going in either direction.

Each person typically raises about $300, Anderson said. About 90 minutes in, Anderson estimated he had gotten about 50 donations in varying denominations. Some of the most enthusiastic donors were those who appeared to have less to give, he said.

“It’s funny when a beat-up car will pull up and empty out all the coins in their ashtray,” he said.

It had been a good day, free of four-letter words such as rain, snow and hail, said firefighter Mike Gloss.

“The boot’s getting heavy – lots of green,” said Gloss, who was collecting on Shelden Avenue. “A lot of people have been giving. Hopefully we will be able to beat last year.”