Communities Worldwide Continue Fundraising to Support Cystic Fibrosis

All over the country and throughout the world, local communities organize events to raise both awareness and funds to help patients suffering with cystic fibrosis (CF), as well as to support research dedicated to finding a cure for the life-threatening genetic disease. Approximately 70,000 people suffer from CF worldwide, 30,000 of which live in the United States, and several associations are working and collaborating for the cause. Here are some of the upcoming and most recent fundraising events:

Mixing Fundraising with Pleasure

Los Angeles is officially opening its wine tasting season, and the inaugural VinFort event is being hosted this Friday, November, 7, in Santa Monica to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Between 7 and 10 p.m. at the Jeanie Madsen and Hamilton Galleries, the event offer late-harvest wines, ice wines, ports and Cognac, from producers like Martell Cognac, Chateau de Pellehaut Armagnac, Cognac Frapin, Sonoma Port Works, Cossart Gordon Madeira, and Prager Winery & Port Works. One ticket costs $39, but two are $60 and three $75.

A Colorful Help

Next Saturday, November 8, the community of Stillwater, Oklahoma will be able to engage in exercise, charity, and colors at the Stillwater Color Splash Dash, a color run being organized by the philanthropy veteran Chris Beggs, which will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. After hosting a Color Splash Dash in Elk City where he raised $12,000, Beggs decided to bring the event to Stillwater, and aims to help a family from West Oklahoma with a young son suffering from CF. Taking place at the Bloomer Lake, the event starts at 10 a.m. and the registration fee is $35.

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Wildlife Turned into Pounds

Karen Lanchester, a British nurse whose granddaughter was born with CF, decided to turn her hobby of photographing animals into a fundraising business. She launched a calendar, featuring photographs she took of birds, and already collected $950 entirely for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust in the UK. The calendars cost £5, which is about $8, and are available through Lanchester’s Facebook page, via e-mail [email protected], or the telephone 07889136454 in the UK.

Continuing the Efforts

After the death of their son to CF in 1986, Joe and Kathy O’Donnell decided not to rest and continued to work advocating and contributing to finding a cure for the disease. The 28th annual Joey O’Donnell Film Premiere raised more than $1 million for the Joey Fund and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Screening the film The Imitation Game with Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley, the event included guests like Babson president Kerry Healey, chef Jody Adams, Mike Barnicle and Anne Finucane, Steve Karp, Dan Rea, Mike Lynch, and Gord Kluzak.

Partying for Support

The annual Arthur’s Jam fundraiser event hosted by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation gathered more than 125 guested at the Ragtops Motorcars, in West Palm Beach, California, and raised more than $53,000 to help the organization. The event was named in honor of the CF patient and Palm Beach resident Arthur Weish who died in 1996, and is a night of celebration that started a year before his death by his friends.

Running for Charity

Every year thousands of runners gathers at the ASB Auckland Marathon, a charity event that helps several associations in New Zealand, and this year was able to raise $1.5 million. The event was especially important for Amy Ross, an eight-year old girl who was running with the additional purpose of raising awareness about the disease she suffers from, CF. The girl signed up for the kids marathon with her mother, and despite the difficulties due to the condition, she faced the challenge. The family also has a site, the Ross Clan, to receive donations on their own.