Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Launches "Walk Weekend"- More Than 200 Great Strides Fundraisers Scheduled for May 21-22

Tens of Thousands to Participate During National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month

BETHESDA, Md., May 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation announced today that more than 200 cities will host Great Strides walks May 21-22, 2011. Great Strides is a national fundraiser that generates critical funds for lifesaving cystic fibrosis research, education and care. The 2011 goal of Great Strides is to raise nearly $40 million nationwide.

May is National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. Throughout the year, some 600 sites will hold Great Strides walks.

Funds raised through Great Strides have helped fuel dramatic advances in CF research and care.  People with the disease now often live into their 30s and beyond, progress that was unthinkable just a few decades ago.

"Great Strides is the most important fundraiser we have all year, and we are grateful to every walker who joins us," said Robert J. Beall, Ph.D., president and CEO of the CF Foundation. "Each dollar raised brings us closer to finding better therapies and ultimately a cure for this devastating disease."

Cystic fibrosis is a fatal genetic disease that affects 30,000 adults and children in the United States and 70,000 people worldwide. It causes debilitating lung infections that lead to premature death. More than 10 million Americans are symptomless carriers of a defective CF gene.

Great Strides 2011 is sponsored nationally by Abbott, American Airlines®, Genentech and Gilead Sciences, Inc.

The CF Foundation is an accredited charity of the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance.

To help fight CF and get involved in Great Strides, please call (800) FIGHT CF or visit http://greatstrides.cff.org.

About the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the world's leader in the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis. The Foundation funds more CF research than any other organization, and nearly every CF drug available today was made possible because of Foundation support. Based in Bethesda, Md., the Foundation also supports and accredits a national care center network that has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health as a model of care for a chronic disease. The CF Foundation is a donor-supported nonprofit organization. For more information, go to www.cff.org.

SOURCE Cystic Fibrosis Foundation