Drivers in Morton saw something recently that hadn't been seen in the village in 25 years.
They saw solicitors for a charitable organization collect funds from drivers while standing in a street median. In this case, the median of the busy intersection of East Jackson Street and North Morton Avenue.
Members of Morton Paramedics Local 4962 collected funds for the International Association of Fire Fighters' Fill the Boot program for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, an annual campaign that began in 1954.
Kris Ambrosia, the Morton Paramedics union president and one of the solicitors, said $979.77 was raised in just two hours.
Combined with collections at the Walmart and Farm 'n' Fleet stores in Morton, the union collected $2,573.75 for MDA this year, by far the most ever in a year since 2013, when the union was formed and began participating in the Fill the Boot program.
"We used to get donations for MDA online through Facebook posts. We'd get about $250-500 a year," Ambrosia said. "We did so much better this year and it was the most fun we've had raising money for MDA. We definitely plan to collect funds in the street in the future."
Ambrosia said the union was aware for years that Morton had an ordinance banning median solicitations and sales, but didn't want to launch an effort to change the ordinance because "we didn't want to ruffle any feathers. But after a couple years of talking about it, we thought we'd try this year."
The ordinance banning median solicitations and sales went into effect in 1999.
Ambrosia said Morton Police Chief Shawn Darche paved the way for an ordinance amendment allowing median solicitations only for charitable organizations to be passed by the Village Board in August by creating enough safety and legal measures.
The measures require solicitors to be at least age 16 and wear a high visibility vest while soliciting. Also, those soliciting funds must obtain advance written permission from the police chief after providing the chief with the proposed location and hours of the solicitation.
Solicitations must be for an agency registered with the state attorney general as a charitable organization, and those soliciting must have insurance
The ordinance amendment didn't pass unanimously. The vote was 4-2, with trustees Craig Hilliard, a former Morton police chief, and Brad Menold casting the no votes.
"I support charitable causes, but there shouldn't be solicitation in the middle of a roadway," Hilliard said. "There's a potential for solicitors to be put in harm's way and a driver making a donation may not be able to move when the light turns from red to green. That could cause other drivers to be irritable."
There are 11 paramedics and two EMTs in the Morton union.
