Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Launches "Walk Weekend" - More Than 200 Great Strides Fundraisers Scheduled Nationwide for May 19-20

Tens of Thousands Join Effort to Find a Cure During Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month

BETHESDA, Md., May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tens of thousands of people in more than 200 cities will participate in Great Strides walks May 19-20, 2012, to raise critical funds for cystic fibrosis research, education and care, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation announced today.

Great Strides is the largest national fundraiser for cystic fibrosis, a fatal genetic disease that causes debilitating lung infections and premature death. There is no cure. More than 10 million Americans are symptomless carriers of a defective CF gene.

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

Great Strides "walk weekend" falls during national Cystic Fibrosis Awareness month. The 2012 Great Strides goal is to raise nearly $40 million nationwide. Throughout the year, approximately 550 sites will hold Great Strides walks.

Funds raised through Great Strides have fueled the development of new drugs to fight cystic fibrosis. In January, a breakthrough CF drug called Kalydeco was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is the first drug to treat the underlying cause of the disease for a small portion of people with CF. The science behind Kalydeco has served as a roadmap for research and development that may eventually lead to new therapies and a cure for all people living with CF.

Great Strides 2012 is sponsored nationally by American Airlines®, Abbott, Genentech, Gilead Sciences and Novartis, 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