By Adam Brazeau
CORNWALL, Ontario – If Lily McCarthy has her way, one day CF will stand for ‘cure found.’
Close to 50 participants helped raise over $5,100 at the annual Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis Canada at Cornwall’s Lamoureux Park on Sunday (May 31).
McCarthy, 11, walked for her little sister, Chloe.
Inspired by the six-year-old’s battle with the fatal genetic disease, she raised over $300 by going door-to-door collecting pledges.
“I want there to be a cure for cystic fibrosis,” said McCarthy.
Her parents boasted that over the years her unwavering support for her sibling has resulted in thousands of dollars in contributions to the non-profit organization.
Before walkers circled the park three times, chilly weather and gray skies gave way to a warm up led by Zumba with Pascale instructor Pascale Poirier.
Participants averaged 6,000 steps – the amount of adults and children in Canada living with CF.
“In the SD&G area, I’m aware of 14 families, but because of the privacy act people have to approach us,” said Kim Baird, Cornwall-SD&G chapter president of Cystic Fibrosis Canada.
Linda Lynch and her daughter Jillian represented Team Myles, with family and friends (a few from the Lynch An-Aideur’s time spent as a Cornwall Power Dame).
Throughout his life, three months was the longest Myles ‘Champ’ Lynch had ever gone without an appointment at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in Ottawa. For nearly half a decade, he spent almost one third of each year at CHEO or Sick Kids in Toronto.
“These fundraisers make a difference,” said Lynch. “Anyone who knew the amount of pills and medications and hospital visits someone with CF has to endure would want to find a cure for the disease.”
Her 17-year-old son received a double lung transplant last October and now has 88 per cent lung capacity, compared to 30 per cent. Myles also recently went to prom.
“We are so dedicated to finding a cure, and we’re getting closer,” Baird told the crowd.
The Kinette Club of Cornwall helped organize the event, which featured a kids’ zone, and the Kinsmen Club of Cornwall manned a free barbecue station.
For fans of the green, there’s another way to help fund research, clinical care, advocacy, and supports.
The third annual Marc Belanger Memorial Golf Tournament takes place on July 18 at Summerheights Golf Links. For more information, call Ryan Disotell at (613) 932-2439 or email rydisotell@msn.com or search Facebook for Golfers Against Cystic Fibrosis.
To mark Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month in May, the Cornwall Power Dames (the Seaway Roller Derby Girls League’s inaugural team) hosted its second annual casino night. The event raised over $2,000.
