Great Strides Walk to Cure CF

Great Strides — A Walk to Cure CF is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's largest national fund-raising event. 2008 marks the 20th 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.

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 a morning 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 2007 Great Strides walk.

St. Joseph Great Strides 2008 Walk a Tremendous Success! The 2008 walk was held on May 18th at Riverview Park in St. Joseph. The weather was cool, which was perfect once the walkers got out on the course. 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. There was a "Moon Walk" for the kids, and "Andy the Ambulance" also made his annual appearance. Thanks to the generous efforts of people like you, we're pleased to announce some key numbers from the 2008 Great Strides Walk:

• The St. Joseph walk raised over $20,000 to fight cystic fibrosis. ($20,000 was the rather ambitious goal set by the Grand Rapids chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, so we were extremely pleased to have reached this milestone.
• The Hannah's Hikers Walk Team raised over $16,000, which is 80% of the walk's total. View our personal thank you letter here.
• Nationally, the 2008 Great Strides Walk results are not in, but will be posted here as they become available.

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 this 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 2009 St. Joseph - Riverview Park 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 an individual signing up as 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 though the 2008 event has already concluded. You can:

• Donate securely online using Hannah's personal Great Strides page. You can view her personal letter and see some recent photos 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 2009 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. She had a week long stay in the hospital in July of 2002 and some rather intensive follow-up treatment at home, but since that point things have been going extremely well, thanks in large part to these newly approved treatments. Hannah has actually experienced a 4% improvement in lung function since February of 2003 due to this new therapy.

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!