Walkers hope to see Great Strides toward a cure
By Amruta Trivedi
Children and adults walked to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis on May 17 during the Great Strides Walk.
Organized by the San Diego Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF), this year’s Great Strides Walk attracted families from as far away as Oregon as well as UCSD students and local companies.
The walk began and ended at the Carmel Valley Recreation Center, traveling two miles around El Camino Real and Carmel Creek Road.
Because May is Cystic Fibrosis Month, CFF San Diego organized four of its six walks during this month in Chula Vista, Mission Bay, Carlsbad and Carmel Valley. Great Strides happened in Hawaii and Temecula in February and April and raised close to $700,000 to fund research in developing a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.
According to Special Events Coordinator of CFF San Diego Stacy Motenko there were more than 1,800 walkers throughout the six sites.
CFF San Diego also organizes coin collections in schools around San Diego County. Carmel Valley schools that participated include Sycamore Ridge Elementary, Solana Highlands Elementary and Ocean Air Elementary. These schools each raised about $3,000.
Founded in 1955, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has supported innovative research to help raise awareness for the disease and provide victims of the disease with better care and a brighter future. Currently, this nonprofit is supporting the development of 30 potential treatments.
For more information about the disease and ways to help, visit
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