Making Great Strides

By Julie Duffin
July 2018 View more Naperscene

The Greater Illinois Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation held its annual West Suburban Great Strides fundraiser at the Naperville Riverwalk Grand Pavilion on Saturday, May 19. More than 600 participants took part in the family-friendly event through downtown Naperville, which included a 5K walk and children’s activities, plus food and festivities.

This year marked the 30th anniversary of Great Strides. Since its inception, the national event has raised more than $600 million to help those living with cystic fibrosis, a rare genetic disease that progressively limits a person’s ability to breathe and can ultimately cause premature death.

“Every walker who joined us has made a difference in the lives of people living with cystic fibrosis,” says Meg Schneider, executive director of the Greater Illinois Chapter. “When we first began, children with CF typically did not live long enough to attend elementary school. Today, people in our community are living long enough to achieve milestones like graduating high school and getting married. We have made tremendous progress, but too many people are still losing their fight with CF too soon.”