Great Strides Walk to Cure CF

Great Strides — A Walk to Cure CF is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's largest national fund-raising event. 2011 marked the 23rd anniversary of the event, which is held throughout the country each year on various weekends throughout May. Its purpose is to raise money to support innovative research and care programs dedicated to adding tomorrows every day to the lives of those with cystic fibrosis.

2012 Great Strides Walk Date Set The 2012 St. Joseph Great Strides Walk will be held on Sunday, May 20th at Riverview Park. Sign up begins at noon and the walk begins at 1:00 PM. See the "How do I sign up?" section below to register for the 2012 walk now.

About the Walk... Participants in the St. Joseph Great Strides Walk solicit sponsors prior to walk day (see below for more information) and are treated to an afternoon of food, fun, music, prizes and a healthy 10K walk. It's a great opportunity to show support in the fight against cystic fibrosis and to share fellowship with families affected by the disease. Click here to see photos from the 2011 Great Strides walk.

St. Joseph Great Strides 2011 Walk a Tremendous Success! The 2011 walk was held on May 22nd at Riverview Park in St. Joseph. The weather was perfect for our event. All in attendance had a great time walking and talking with others. There were some dogs and baby joggers spotted on the course, as well as bikes and scooters ridden by the younger walkers. Upon completion, many of the participants stayed around to snack, chat and listen to music. Thanks to the generous efforts of people like you, we're pleased to announce some key numbers from the 2011 Great Strides Walk:

• The 2011 St. Joseph walk to-date has raised $23,000 to fight cystic fibrosis.
• The Hannah's Hikers Walk Team to-date has raised $12,390, which is nearly 54% of our local walk's total. View our personal thank you letter here.
• Hannah personally raised $10,745, the second highest total in all of Western Michigan!
• Nationally, the 2011 Great Strides Walk raised 37 million dollars!

A Little History... In 2002, the St. Joseph Great Strides event gained national recognition as the 6th most successful new walk site in the country. We even received special notice from Robert J. Beall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, who spoke specifically of our success to the Western Michigan CF chapter and also sent us a congratulatory letter. As evidenced by the numbers above, the event has continued to grow and we are hopeful that next year we can do even more!

How Do I Sign Up?

As next year's walk approaches, you can sign up to walk by going to the Great Strides page and following the steps below:

1. In the "Register Now" section, select Michigan from the drop-down list and then click "Find a Walk."
2. Scroll down to 2012 St. Joseph - Riverview Park at Briarwood Shelter and click the "Register" button.
3. If you'd like to sign up as a member of Hannah Buck's team (Hannah's Hikers) you can select the option "I am a walker who is a member of a team." When you choose that option, you'll be able to choose Hannah's team from the resulting drop-down list. If you'd like to start a new team or just walk as an individual, those options are available as well.
4. Click the "Continue" button.
5. On the next page, create your profile and follow the prompts to complete the process.

Once you've signed up, follow the steps below to get ready for "Walk Day."

1. Get Sponsors - Take a sponsor form everywhere. Ask your friends, family, neighbors and others to help you raise at least $150 for life-saving research.
2. Collect from Sponsors - Collect donations prior to walk day and put in enclosed envelope. Checks should be made payable to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
3. Walk Day - Print and completely fill out the walker information form and either turn it in to your team leader or at the check-in table. Enjoy a scenic walk and celebrate your accomplishments at the post-walk party.

I Can't Walk But Would Still Like to Help...

You can still contribute to the CF fight even if you can't join us on walk day. You can:

• Donate securely online using Hannah's personal Great Strides page or by clicking the Donate button at right. You can view her personal letter and see a recent photo of her. Donations are tax-deductible and the whole process only takes a matter of minutes. You can even leave Hannah a personal message with your donation!
• Encourage your business to become a corporate sponsor on walk day for the 2012 event. A sign can be displayed acknowledging your organization's contribution to fight CF.
• Conduct a fund-raising event to support Great Strides.
• Contribute directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

There have been advancements made even since this time five years ago. Therapy not available at that time has made a tremendous difference in Hannah Buck's quality of life already. We invite you to bring your family, friends, and colleagues and join thousands of others across the country to participate in next year's Great Strides event. If you are from another part of the country, you can take part in a walk there instead. You will be raising money to help find a cure for this life-threatening genetic disease. Money raised from Great Strides will be quickly translated into exciting scientific advances that could have a profound impact on the face of CF. Money buys science and science buys life!