Dear Family and Friends, Saturday, May 2nd is JAMES AND HIS MIGHTY WALKING WARRIORS 5th anniversary at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s (CFF) national Great Strides event. We will be kicking off the festivities at 11:00am (registration begins at 9:00am) at our walk site -Westhampton Beach Village Gazebo.

We cannot thank you enough for your tremendous support and personal contributions to our Great Strides Campaign for the past 4 years!

James is now 8 years old and in 3rd grade. He is a top student and excels in everything he does. James was Student of the month for his school in December and he was very proud of that honor. His teacher is wonderful and she says James is a joy to have in class and a positive role model for the other children. He is taking guitar lessons and is doing very well! I was shocked to hear him play "Love Me Tender" and a few other recognizable songs! He also rocks out hard on the drums in Rock Band! I love to watch him play! Baseball season is coming up and he is very excited for that especially if Jimmy gets chosen to be a coach! That should be a lot of fun!

As far as his health, James is still doing pretty well. He has been having some acid reflux and his liver is starting to take a toll, so he is on Actigall and Prevacid to help with those things. Now he's up to 15 medications a day and continues to do 1 hour of treatments every morning and evening but he is still a happy, positive, fun loving kid that has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known! He is my HERO!

Please keep James in your thoughts. Thank you for taking the time to read our letter and for your commitment to our goal - making “CF” stand for “Cure Found” within James' lifetime - truly lifesaving work.

Every year gets more challenging to reach and exceed our goal, but we keep reminding ourselves constantly of the fact that CF receives NO FEDERAL FUNDING. Not one single dime. All the money that is raised for research comes from the families who are affected and their wonderful network of friends, extended family, colleagues and community members. It is a very daunting task! But then we take one look at James and remember instantly how necessary and worthwhile our efforts are.

We are once again asking for your help. By joining JAMES AND HIS MIGHTY WALKING WARRIORS, you can be part of a lifesaving effort to find a cure for a disease that affects children. An amazing 90 cents out of every dollar goes directly to research, which is why the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation received the coveted 4-star rating (out of 4) for Sound Fiscal Management from Charity Navigator, the largest charity evaluator in the U.S.

If you can fundraise for us, not only will you increase your donation, but you will be helping to raise awareness about CF, which will go a long way towards encouraging future support at the Federal level.

In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond - and this is where you see the direct benefit of fundraisers such as Great Strides.

A cure is so close to being found, but once again the science is ahead of the funding. We cannot afford to have one potential drug in the pipeline removed because of a lack of funds - what if it is the cure? How could we possibly live with that?

GREAT STRIDES is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's largest and most successful national fund-raising event. This year, I'm walking in the GREAT STRIDES walk at the 2006 Riverhead - Suffolk Community College - Riverhead Campus walk on 05/07/2006. Please help me meet my fund-raising goal of $2000.00 by sponsoring me. Your generous gift will be used efficiently and effectively, as more than $.90 out of every dollar you contribute will be used to fund the vital programs of the CF Foundation.

Making a donation is easy and secure! Just click the "Click to Donate" button on this page to go to make a donation that will be credited to my team. Any amount you can donate is greatly appreciated!

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a devastating genetic disease that affects tens of thousands of children and young adults in the United States. Research and care supported by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is making a huge difference in extending the quality of life for those with CF. However, we continue to lose precious lives to CF every day. That's why your help is needed now more than ever to ensure that a cure is found sooner - rather than later. To learn more about CF and the CF Foundation, visit www.cff.org.

Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those with CF! Thank you for supporting the mission of the CF Foundation and GREAT STRIDES!