On Saturday, 6/13, we'd love to see all of you come out to the walk at the Naperville Riverwalk Pavilion or to the after-party at our house. The walk is always just the right length (not too long) and the day is really family friendly, including breakfast and lunch, a DJ, and a few surprises. The after-party at our house is open to everyone, whether you walked or not.

This will be Colin's 7th walk. Those first months threw us so many curves and so many unknowns all at once and only because of all of the help of our family and friends did we make it through. So, so much has changed since Colin's first walk, when he was just two months old. The median life span of someone with cf has increased from 31 years old to 38 years old and better, more effective drugs now exist that cut down on the number of pills he has to take during the day and the amount of time he needs to spend on nebulizers, which is currently at about an hour a day.

There is one thing that hasn't changed since the time Colin was born: There is still no cure for cystic fibrosis. There is still a shortened lifespan, there are still numerous drugs a day, there are still doctor and hospital visits a half dozen times a year.

We relied heavily on our family and friends to help us those first few months of Colin's life and we continue to rely on you. There are some absolutely amazing drugs in the works and a greater hope now than ever before that we'll see a cure to this disease in Colin's lifetime. But we're not there yet. The drugs in the CFF pipeline require over $100million in funding every year to keep the research and trials going. As you are no doubt aware, there's been a bit of a financial issue going on in the world and our fundraising has not been immune to it. Unfortunately, this disease hasn't paused while banks figure out their plans.

Please help us this year. We completely understand the financial situation and we're not looking for massive donations. We're asking you to donate what you can, and because asking is free, we'd like you to ask your friends and family for whatever small donations they can provide as well.

Please donate and help us find an end to this disease. Thank you so very much.

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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 Naperville Riverwalk on June 13. Please help me meet my goal of funding a cure for cystic fibrosis by sponsoring me. Your generous gift will be used efficiently and effectively, as nearly 90 cents of every dollar of revenue raised is available for investment in vital CF programs to support research, care and education.

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!