I have taken on the challenge of participating in this year’s Boston Marathon to support the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation. I am asking your financial support in my small, personal effort to help the CF Foundation raise funds for investment in vital programs to support research, care and education in their fight against cystic fibrosis. On April 20, I will start (and hopefully finish) the Boston Marathon – what I am asking of you is a donation to the CF Foundation in support of my efforts.

My story is this: I am not a runner; not even close to being one. I have run one road race in my life – the Hingham, MA 4th of July 5 mile road race as a 12-year old back in 1979 – and I didn’t manage to finish that one. Like presumably many in this area, I have watched the Boston Marathon numerous times on TV and in person and have always been tremendously impressed by those that trek along the 26+ mile course. I have always wondered what it would be like to do so, but I could never seem to muster the commitment or motivation to get out there and do it myself. Two things changed all of that for me in the last year – some injuries (and old age, I suppose) restricted my ability to engage in the competitive sports I have always enjoyed, which turned me on to running, and I had the opportunity to coach a child this past year - Katie Armstrong - who happens to be afflicted with cystic fibrosis. Katie is a wonderful kid – an infinitely coach-able player who shows up at every practice and game with a can-do attitude and a smile from ear to ear; a wonderfully supportive teammate who laughs at herself as well as the corny jokes of the coaching staff. Katie and her indomitable will has also provided me with the motivation to persist through the rather grueling 18-week training regimen for this race.

Particularly in these economic times, please know that every donation is greatly appreciated. Because cystic fibrosis impacts a relatively small number of people in the United States (roughly 30,000), large drug and research companies are not terribly interested in entering into this fight – there is not enough money in it for them. The CF Foundation uses its money to fund smaller, cutting-edge research companies that are committed to discovering a breakthrough. This is where much of the progress is coming from, and this is how your contribution will be put to use. And very importantly, please know that $.90 of every $1 the CF Foundation receives goes directly to research – the foundation has earned national recognition for this efficiency. To learn more about cystic fibrosis and the CF Foundation, visit www.cff.org.

If you have made it this far in this message, I thank you for reading it through. If you would like to support me and join with the CF Foundation in their fight against cystic fibrosis, please press the Click to Donate button below to make a secure, online donation.

If you choose to make a donation, I also thank you and pass along the sincere thanks of Katie’s parents, Jane and Steve Armstrong – who will also be running the marathon this year (marking the fifth consecutive year at least one of them has done so) as well as the entire CF Foundation.

Sincerely,

Doug McLaughlin