May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month

Toronto, ON (May 4, 2010) – Imagine drowning on the inside. Your lungs fill with fluid as you cough uncontrollably with little relief. This is the fear, and the reality for people with cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common, fatal, genetic disease affecting Canadian children and young adults. There is no cure.

During May, Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, Foundation members and supporters make a special effort to raise awareness of the disease and to let the public know what they can do to help.

When the Foundation was created in 1960, most children with cystic fibrosis did not live long enough to attend kindergarten; today half of all Canadians with cystic fibrosis are expected to live into their 40s and beyond.

In the last 50 years, the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has had a remarkable track record of success, but too many young lives are still cut short by CF. Each week in Canada, two children are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and someone dies from the disease.

“We are proud of our progress over the last 50 years, but there is still much to be done,” said Cathleen Morrison, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation. “This May, we encourage Canadians to support our quest to find a cure or effective control for this devastating disease. Together we can beat cystic fibrosis!”

This May, three fundraisers are taking place across Canada in support of the work of the Foundation:

National Kin-CCFF Day: Saturday, May 1
On Saturday, May 1, members of Kin Canada clubs across the country will host community-based fundraising events. Please visit www.kincanada.ca, or contact your local Kin club for details.

Splash for CF: Saturday, May 1
Beginning May 1, BioGuard, a manufacturer of pool and spa care products, will host Splash for CF at more than 100 dealer locations across Canada. BioGuard dealers will display in-store coin boxes throughout the summer, sell water droplet cut-outs, and donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of some of their products to the Foundation. To learn more about this new campaign, visit www.SplashforCF.ca.

Great Strides™ walk: Sunday, May 30
Take steps to cure cystic fibrosis! Join the Foundation for the sixth-annual Great Strides™ walk on Sunday, May 30. The Great Strides™ walk will take place in more than 50 communities across Canada. Visit www.cysticfibrosis.ca/greatstrides to register or to make a donation.

About the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a Canada-wide health charity, with 50 volunteer chapters, that funds CF research and care. In 2010, the Foundation is supporting more than 50 research projects which are exploring all aspects of the CF puzzle; from investigating new methods of fighting infection and inflammation in the lungs to finding new therapies that target the basic defect at the cellular level.

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If you would like to interview someone affected by cystic fibrosis in your community, please contact:

Sagal Ali
Media Relations Officer
Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
1-800-378-2233 ext. 290
sali@cysticfibrosis.ca
www.cysticfibrosis.ca