Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Greater Illinois Chapter

04/23/2021

In our second installment of TeamMATE Talks, check out this video from Cheriz Kunkel and Andrew Loebach on all the great features of the new Fight CF app!

Download the Fight CF app from the App Store or Google Play today!

04/23/2021

Our Peer-to-Peer events take a village to pull them off, and every year we are so thankful for the hundreds of people that come together for the same mission. From Great Strides to our endurance events, the Foundation is lucky to have all of our incredible Peer-to-Peer Volunteers! Thank you for all that you do for the CF Foundation!

Our Peer-to-Peer events take a village to pull them off, and every year we are so thankful for the hundreds of people that come together for the same mission. From Great Strides to our endurance events, the Foundation is lucky to have all of our incredible Peer-to-Peer Volunteers! Thank you for all that you do for the CF Foundation!

04/22/2021

Attention, Campers! Check out all of the fun things we have planned for virtual Camp Great Strides on May 15th. We have the Great Strides program starting at 10:00 AM, followed by our virtual neighborhood walk at 11:00 AM, along with a slew of other fun optional camp activities - so get ready!

We are so excited to spend the day with you enjoying all that Camp Great Strides has to offer. You can RSVP for the program at 10:00 AM on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/events/126156172820350

Attention, Campers! Check out all of the fun things we have planned for virtual Camp Great Strides on May 15th. We have the Great Strides program starting at 10:00 AM, followed by our virtual neighborhood walk at 11:00 AM, along with a slew of other fun optional camp activities - so get ready!

We are so excited to spend the day with you enjoying all that Camp Great Strides has to offer. You can RSVP for the program at 10:00 AM on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/events/126156172820350

04/22/2021

Thank you to all of our incredible special event volunteers that make each and every event we put on possible. Although this past year has been focused on how we can still gather and celebrate virtually, our volunteers have stuck with us to help make these events a success. We can’t wait to get back in person with you all in the future!

Thank you to all of our incredible special event volunteers that make each and every event we put on possible. Although this past year has been focused on how we can still gather and celebrate virtually, our volunteers have stuck with us to help make these events a success. We can’t wait to get back in person with you all in the future!

04/21/2021

Let’s give a HUGE shout out and thank you to all of our Grampions, Advocates, Tomorrow’s Leaders, and board members who have dedicated their time and resources to furthering the Foundation’s mission. They have a huge impact on everything we do, including participating in our events, fundraising, supporting one another, and more. We wouldn’t be where we are today without our volunteers!

Let’s give a HUGE shout out and thank you to all of our Grampions, Advocates, Tomorrow’s Leaders, and board members who have dedicated their time and resources to furthering the Foundation’s mission. They have a huge impact on everything we do, including participating in our events, fundraising, supporting one another, and more. We wouldn’t be where we are today without our volunteers!

04/20/2021

Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers from Salty the Superhero! Because of your dedication and leadership, every day we get one step closer to making CF stand for Cure Found! As a small token of our appreciation, we would like to celebrate you and all you’ve done for CFF at our National Gratitude Hour Tomorrow from 6-7 PM CT. http://on.cff.org/GratitudeHour

Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers from Salty the Superhero! Because of your dedication and leadership, every day we get one step closer to making CF stand for Cure Found! As a small token of our appreciation, we would like to celebrate you and all you’ve done for CFF at our National Gratitude Hour Tomorrow from 6-7 PM CT. http://on.cff.org/GratitudeHour

04/19/2021

Happy #MondayMiles! We are now in Week 4 with more and more teams joining and getting active. Don't forget: reach 330 miles for 33 years of Great Strides to receive a virtual Trail to Camp Great Strides Adventurer badge.

Happy #MondayMiles! We are now in Week 4 with more and more teams joining and getting active. Don't forget: reach 330 miles for 33 years of Great Strides to receive a virtual Trail to Camp Great Strides Adventurer badge.

04/19/2021

National Volunteer Week

Happy National Volunteer Week!

Each year, the cystic fibrosis community comes together for National Volunteer Week. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has shareable social media resources to help you say thank you to the people in your life.

04/17/2021

Thank you to Mark Tolliver and Sheffield's Chicago for being our mixologist during Chicago's Magnificent 5 week trivia competition. We are extremely thankful for your commitment to make CF stand for Cure Found!

Thank you to Mark Tolliver and Sheffield's Chicago for being our mixologist during Chicago's Magnificent 5 week trivia competition. We are extremely thankful for your commitment to make CF stand for Cure Found!

04/16/2021

Back by popular demand, TeamMATE Talks! Check out this short video from Randell Gans on virtual fundraising. Randell is 33 years old with CF and an avid TeamMATE with that Foundation. Take a look to see what Randell has done to be successful while fundraising in a virtual world.

04/16/2021

My Life Before and After the Affordable Care Act

My Life Before and After the Affordable Care Act

Having two sons living with cystic fibrosis, I struggled for years with the financial burdens and restrictions of the insurance market. Since the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, I no longer have to worry about lifetime caps and astronomical premiums -- two issues that caused enormous grief f...

04/16/2021

Thank you to everyone who has made a self-donation so far during this Great Strides season, and a special thank you to those who made Self-Donation Day a success! You’re leading by example in the fight to make CF stand for Cure Found. If you made a self-donation, keep an eye out for a virtual badge coming soon to your inbox!

Thank you to everyone who has made a self-donation so far during this Great Strides season, and a special thank you to those who made Self-Donation Day a success! You’re leading by example in the fight to make CF stand for Cure Found. If you made a self-donation, keep an eye out for a virtual badge coming soon to your inbox!

04/15/2021

Let’s give a huge round of applause for our latest Great Strides Challengers and Champions! Challengers are walkers who have raised $650-$999 and Champions have raised over $1,000. We can’t thank them enough for their dedication to the CF Foundation and leading the way in the fight to cure CF!

04/14/2021

🚨 Challenge alert! 🚨 Today is Self-Donation Day and we’re challenging YOU to make a self-donation. Every dollar that is donated to the Foundation makes a difference in the lives of those affected by CF, and your self-donation shows your community that you’re willing to lead by example in the fight against CF.

In honor of this being the 33rd year of Great Strides, we challenge you to donate $33, or any amount that is meaningful to you, to your Great Strides fundraising page. As an added bonus, you’ll get to “rep” a one-of-a-kind Camp Great Strides virtual badge!

🚨 Challenge alert! 🚨 Today is Self-Donation Day and we’re challenging YOU to make a self-donation. Every dollar that is donated to the Foundation makes a difference in the lives of those affected by CF, and your self-donation shows your community that you’re willing to lead by example in the fight against CF.

In honor of this being the 33rd year of Great Strides, we challenge you to donate $33, or any amount that is meaningful to you, to your Great Strides fundraising page. As an added bonus, you’ll get to “rep” a one-of-a-kind Camp Great Strides virtual badge!

04/13/2021

This Wednesday, Camp Great Strides will be having its annual Self-Donation Day! We’re challenging everyone to make a self-donation in an amount that is meaningful to you. Need some inspiration? Donate $33 to your Great Strides fundraising page in honor of Great Strides’ 33rd year! Anyone who makes a self-donation to their personal fundraising page by the end of the day on Wednesday will receive a virtual Lead by Example badge to show your community that you’re leading the way in the fight to make CF stand for Cure Found.

This Wednesday, Camp Great Strides will be having its annual Self-Donation Day! We’re challenging everyone to make a self-donation in an amount that is meaningful to you. Need some inspiration? Donate $33 to your Great Strides fundraising page in honor of Great Strides’ 33rd year! Anyone who makes a self-donation to their personal fundraising page by the end of the day on Wednesday will receive a virtual Lead by Example badge to show your community that you’re leading the way in the fight to make CF stand for Cure Found.

04/13/2021

We're looking for honorees to join our 2021 Class of Chicago's Magnifcent! Nominations are now open for those who wish to become an honoree or suggest one. We can't wait to add on to our Chicago's Magnificent family! https://afasignup.formstack.com/forms/magnificent_nomination

We're looking for honorees to join our 2021 Class of Chicago's Magnifcent! Nominations are now open for those who wish to become an honoree or suggest one. We can't wait to add on to our Chicago's Magnificent family! https://afasignup.formstack.com/forms/magnificent_nomination

04/12/2021

Happy Monday, campers! Clearly we had some teams out and about this weekend getting their miles in – congratulations to all of our teams up on the leader board for getting out and getting active in the name of Great Strides! For those who still need to get their team up on the leaderboard, there’s still plenty of time. Just make sure you’re registered for Great Strides, then download the app and connect it to your Apple Health or Google Fit app, and you’ll be good to go!

Happy Monday, campers! Clearly we had some teams out and about this weekend getting their miles in – congratulations to all of our teams up on the leader board for getting out and getting active in the name of Great Strides! For those who still need to get their team up on the leaderboard, there’s still plenty of time. Just make sure you’re registered for Great Strides, then download the app and connect it to your Apple Health or Google Fit app, and you’ll be good to go!

04/12/2021

Join us for our next CF Town Hall on Friday, April 30 at 12:00PM Central Time for a panel on Family Planning and Fertility in CF with Dr. Kazmerski, Dr. Prickett and Dr. Philbrick. Sign up: https://afasignup.formstack.com/forms/april30familyplanningtownhall

Join us for our next CF Town Hall on Friday, April 30 at 12:00PM Central Time for a panel on Family Planning and Fertility in CF with Dr. Kazmerski, Dr. Prickett and Dr. Philbrick. Sign up: https://afasignup.formstack.com/forms/april30familyplanningtownhall

04/07/2021

Join CF community members from Illinois , Indiana and Wisconsin for our first multi state CF Cares virtual call on Tuesday, April 20th at 7:00 PM. Join our host Kellene O’Connell and CF Caregivers from the Midwest region as we discuss summer sports and activities for children with CF. We invite all CF caregivers, friends and family members of those with cystic fibrosis to join us virtual to celebrate, support and encourage those caring for people living with CF. Register: https://afasignup.formstack.com/forms/april20cfcaresmultistatecall

Join CF community members from Illinois , Indiana and Wisconsin for our first multi state CF Cares virtual call on Tuesday, April 20th at 7:00 PM. Join our host Kellene O’Connell and CF Caregivers from the Midwest region as we discuss summer sports and activities for children with CF. We invite all CF caregivers, friends and family members of those with cystic fibrosis to join us virtual to celebrate, support and encourage those caring for people living with CF. Register: https://afasignup.formstack.com/forms/april20cfcaresmultistatecall

04/06/2021

We want YOU to join Team CF! Whether you want to go the extra mile or have the need for speed, join the Team CF Superheroes as they take on the 2021 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 10th. Visit http://fightcf.cff.org/goto/ChicagoMarathon for more information about Team CF!

We want YOU to join Team CF! Whether you want to go the extra mile or have the need for speed, join the Team CF Superheroes as they take on the 2021 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 10th. Visit http://fightcf.cff.org/goto/ChicagoMarathon for more information about Team CF!

04/05/2021

Welcome, campers, to our first #MondayMiles! You’ve all been HUSTLING over the last week, and we’re excited to congratulate Team Violet, Rush for a Cure, Team Tolman, Team Megan, and Kinny J for already completing 330 miles, representing the 33 years of Great Strides. Keep an eye on your inboxes for your Adventurer badges!

Want to see your name on the leaderboard? Register today and download the Fight CF app to start tracking your miles: https://fightcf.cff.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=143_gs_landing_page

04/03/2021

For this installment of our Strider Spotlights, we’d like to introduce you to Donna Codell, the team leader for her Great Strides team Hale’s Angels. They typically walk at our North Shore Great Strides walk every year!

“I’ve been walking in Great Strides for as long as I can remember – over 20 years! I began participating in Great Strides in honor of my daughter, Jennifer, who had cystic fibrosis. When she was diagnosed with CF in 1974, I was told that she would only live until 15 years old, but she lived 43 full years before she passed a month before her 44th birthday. And now, I continue to stride for everyone touched by CF. I think it’s so important to fundraise for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation because not only did they make a difference in my daughter’s life, but they’re working hard to find a cure for everyone with CF. Thank you to everyone who fundraises for the CF Foundation – I consider all of us family and I know that together we’re going to make CF stand for Cure Found!”

- Donna Codell

04/02/2021

Today is the LAST DAY to earn your Great Strides shirt to wear on walk day! Just simply raise $100 or more on your personal fundraising page by the end of the day today and your t-shirt will arrive on your doorstep prior to Great Strides on May 15th.

But don’t worry if you’re still getting those fundraising wheels turning – we’re going to order another round of t-shirts after the walk so ALL of our $100+ fundraisers will get their shirts.

CF Fighters, please reach out to us with your t-shirt size and address so we can get your Fighter shirts out to you before walk day. We want you to rock that purple with pride!

04/01/2021

Happy Great Strides day! Just kidding – Happy April Fools Day! Even though today is not actually Great Strides day we look forward to May 15th when it will be! Until then you can register for Great Strides here: https://fightcf.cff.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=143_gs_landing_page

03/31/2021

We are so excited to announce that Shamrockin' has raised $71,967 towards our $100,000 goal! Help Shamrockin' make CF stand for Cure Found and help us reach our fundraising goal.

Donate: https://events.cff.org/shamrockin

03/30/2021

Want to sport your Great Strides t-shirt on walk day? Just raise $100 on your individual fundraising page by Friday, April 2nd and you’ll get your t-shirt mailed right to your doorstep in time for Great Strides on May 15th.

Need a little more time to get your fundraising up and running? Don’t worry, we’re going to order a second round of t-shirts after May 15th to make sure all of our $100+ fundraisers get one!

And reminder to all CF Fighters - if you need a new purple Fighter shirt, please send [email protected] an email with your size and address by April 30th so you can wear yours with pride on May 15th!

03/30/2021

Mark your calendar for April 15 and 17 and join us at ResearchCon, a free, online educational event open to anyone with a personal or professional connection to cystic fibrosis age 16 and older.

Researchers, clinicians, and CF community members will share the latest CF science and research on topics including nutrition and weight gain, GI and endocrine system, infections, and more. Attendees will have the opportunity to have their CF science-related questions answered by the experts during roundtables. Plus, participate in skill-building interactive workshops on how to engage with care teams, overcome daily care obstacles, and navigate insurance.

Register today: http://on.cff.org/ResearchCon2021

03/29/2021

Campers, are you ready to take on the Trail to Camp Great Strides? As announced during our Great Strides kickoff, we’re hosting our second annual mileage challenge, and we want YOU to get out and get moving for Great Strides! Check out these steps to make sure that you’re geared up and ready to “hike.”

Still need to register your team or want to recruit additional team members? Register here: https://fightcf.cff.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=143_gs_landing_page