Photo courtesy of the Alabama chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Participants in the 2015 Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis pose with Big Al and Aubie.
The Alabama chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will host its annual fundraiser, the Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis, at Veterans Park on May 14. Check-in is scheduled for 9 a.m., and the walk begins at 10 a.m.
The Great Strides Walk raises money to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease that attacks the lungs and digestive systems of about 30,000 American children and adults. The event also raises money for patient support efforts and serves to educate people about CF.
There is no registration fee, but the chapter encourages all participants to make a donation, either when signing up online or at the walk, according to Jennifer McEuen, associate executive director of the Alabama chapter. Participants can also form walk teams at work, through organizations or with friends and family.
Great Strides began in 1989, and in 2015, walks held across Alabama raised about $530,000 for the care and cure of CF, McEuen said.
The family-friendly walk will include music, team photos and lunch to be served after the walk. Activities for kids include crafts and clowns making balloon hats, flowers and fun shapes.
Walk organizers said there will also be a speaker: Dr. Steven Rowe, director of the Gregory Fleming James Cystic Fibrosis Research Center in Birmingham.
For more information, call 870-8565 or visit cff.org/greatstrides, where you can enter your zip code to find the Birmingham walk.
