Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Kicks Off Great Strides Walk in Franklin, NC.

Jan. 10, 2012 - PRLog -- The Charlotte Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation announced today the launch of Great Strides Franklin, a walk new to the area in 2012. Great Strides will be part of a national effort that generates critical funds to support lifesaving cystic fibrosis research, education, and care.  Great Strides Franklin marks the Foundation’s third fundraising walk in Western North Carolina, with additional walk sites in Asheville and Brevard.  With the new walk, the Foundation will work in partnership with local families and businesses to raise funds for the cause.  Franklin based TekTone® Sound & Signal is leading the charge as the walk’s first sponsor.

The walk is scheduled for Friday, May 4 at the Big Bear Shelter on the Little Tennessee River Greenway.  Registration begins at 5:30pm.  It promises to be a fun, family-friendly afternoon of celebrating funds raised to help in the fight against cystic fibrosis.

To get the walk effort started, a Great Strides Kick-off Party will be held Friday, February 3 at 6:00pm at the Franklin Fun Factory.  The kick-off party is open to all those in the community interested in getting more information about starting a team for Great Strides.  

Funds raised through Great Strides have helped spur dramatic progress in the lives of those who have cystic fibrosis.  Fifty years ago, most children with CF did not live long enough to attend elementary school.  Today, people with CF are living into their 30s, 40s, and beyond.

Cystic Fibrosis is a fatal genetic disease that afflicts 30,000 adults and children in the United States and 70,000 people worldwide.  It causes debilitating lung infections that can lead to premature death.  More than 10 million Americans are symptomless carriers of the CF gene. The CF Foundation is an accredited charity by the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. To help fight CF, get involved with Great Strides by calling the Charlotte Chapter at 704-321-7852 or by e-mailing grohleder@cff.org.


The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the world’s leader in the search for a cure for cystic fibrosis.  The Foundation funds more CF research than any other organization, and nearly every CF drug available today was made possible because of Foundation support.  Based in Bethesda, MD, the Foundation also supports and accredits a national care center network that has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health as a model of care for a chronic disease.  For more information, visit www.cff.org.

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Founded in 1973, TekTone® Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc. opened its manufacturing facility in Franklin, NC in 1989. The company designs and manufactures nurse call, apartment entry, wireless emergency call, area of rescue assistance systems, and alert integration systems. TekTone® nurse call systems are found in assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and public and private hospitals around the globe. TekTone® headquarters is Franklin, NC. - plus a network of first-rate distributors and representatives that stretches worldwide. Visit www.tektone.com or call toll free 800.327.8466.