May 30, 20242 min read

Great Strides with CF Warriors

We spent a beautiful, sunny morning in early May helping out with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The event was perched along side a beautiful beach setting at Ocean Beach Park in New London, CT. The venue couldn't have been any nicer. There were many parts that made for a successful event. The morning had started bright and early, pulling up to the park at 7:30 AM. Of course, we ended up parking next to each other! Well, there was barely time to sip at a cup of Dunkin coffee before we were hauling tables and setting up a tent. Arlene was stationed at the snacks table, while Michelle passed out T shirts to those with donations of $100 or more.

It was quite breezy by the water leaving Arlene shivering in the shade while Michelle moved to the tunes to keep warm! The DJ kept everyone entertained with some great music. The walkers began their walk to the Star Wars theme song, being that it was May 4th! The 80 plus walkers were sent off with the phrase “May the fourth be with you!” Little CF Warrior Maddy's mom gave a heartfelt speech telling about her daughter's journey with CF. Maddy stole the show as she happily ran in big circles waving her balloon sword to and fro while projecting the cutest baby-girl giggles. Maddy wore her signature purple warrior shirt, as did all the brave CF warriors. The supportive families gathered together eagerly waiting for the walk to begin. The many friendly pups were ready, too. With the opening ceremony completed, the participant walkers were off on a nearly two hour walk. We tidied up our stations and sat to enjoy the sunshine while wearing our fun balloon hats.

Arlene spent the afternoon with a couple of new friends. Rita, one of the grandmas of a warrior, was ready to send the Give Back Girls to Hawaii!! Michelle and I were ready to pack our bags. Hey! You never know. Another new friend was telling Michelle about the haunted lighthouse we could see in the distance. Supposedly, it is haunted by a ghost named "Ernie". There are Summer tours that let you go inside the lighthouse. Maybe a GBG field trip!

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat, and digestive juices. This disease causes mal nutrition, poor growth, and chronic lung disease. The thick and sticky fluid that cystic fibrosis causes can block ducts and passage ways, preventing organs, such as the lungs and digestive track from functioning optimally. while there is no cure for this debilitating disease, thanks to organizations such as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, research has brought treatments to the cystic fibrosis community.

We were so happy to help this cause and meet such wonderful people - CF warriors, their families, other volunteers and staff from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CT Chapter). In fact, GBG Arlene helped out at the Madison walk a couple of weeks later. And, she brought along her hubby, Stan! I guess this would make him a Give Back Guy!