Write a commentThe Great Strides Walk, for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, is up and on its way to the big day on May 18, 2013. Oswego is in the process of forming more teams and fundraising up until the day of the walk.
A formational "Gear Up for Strides" meeting took place Mon., Feb. 25, at the Oswego Public Library.
The meeting consisted of team leaders and volunteers discussing fundraising techniques and plans for the tasks leading up to May 18. Eight teams and 40 walkers gathered at the meeting to discuss future fundraising, according to the development director, Jessica Moquin.
"This served as a kick off to the whole Great Strides event," Moquin said. "The next event will be a collection party, which will be about two to three weeks prior to the big day in May. For now, individuals who would like to join or start up their own team can visit our website at http://www.cff.org/great_strides/."
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is dedicated to gathering people of various communities and getting them involved with Great Strides through teams, volunteers and fundraising events. The Central New York Chapter's overall goal is to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis and support the research and care programs for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
In May, the walk will be held at Brietbeck Park and begins with a check in at 11 a.m. The teams and volunteers will gather at the park for a warm-up then begin the three-mile walk. After the walk, there is always a DJ and lunch to follow.
"The walk is a big celebration of all the hard work and fundraising teams have done up until that day. Our goal for this year's walk is $10,000 in Oswego," Karen Ferguson, executive director of the C.N.Y Chapter for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, said.
Teams do various amounts of online fundraising through Facebook, Twitter, and emailing about the Great Strides event, Ferguson says. Off-line work is done also to raise awareness and funds for Cystic Fibrosis. Events like sporting events, spaghetti dinners, bake sales etc. are held to raise funds. The teams that raise certain amounts of funds receive gifts like T-shirts, Ferguson said.
To help get the fundraising season under way, the Oswego Speedway has already donated $1,000 toward the cause and announced its plans to serve as the official "Rest Stop" at Breitbeck Park the day of the walk.
The C.N.Y Chapter has nine walks with participants from all over New York State walk and raise funds for. Help out this cause and register to join a at Oswego's third Great Strides Walk.
To register or for more information about the walk and CF program, visit http://www.cff.org/great_strides/.
For more information on how to help out or to sponsor the walk, contact Ferguson at 315-463-7965.
About the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the world's leader in the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis. As a nonprofit donor-supported organization, the foundation is dedicated to attacking cystic fibrosis from every angle, by supporting the development of new drugs to fight the disease, improving the quality of life for those with CF and, ultimately, finding a cure.
