Bob Coughlin has participated in Dedham's walk for cystic fibrosis since it began in 1996. For half of those years, he has walked as part of "Bobby's Brigade," a team for his son, now 7, who has the inherited chronic disease.
"We're looking to have all of the various teams get together, and bring all of their family and friends who care about the person they know and love with cystic fibrosis to come out and walk - not only to raise awareness but to raise money to go to research, and most importantly to go to research for a cure," Coughlin says of this year's Dedham event, coming Sunday. "It hits home when it's your own child, but it's also a day to celebrate the amount of friends and family that come out and show support."
Last-minute registration for the Dedham event starts at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Endicott Estate, with walkers setting off on a 4.2-mile loop at noon.
It is part of Great Strides, a national walk-a-thon for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation encompassing 600 sites in May and June. Great Strides is the largest annual fundraiser of the foundation. The goal this year is to bring in $40 million for cystic fibrosis research and care.
About 30,000 American children and adults have cystic fibrosis. In the disease, a defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce a thick mucus that clogs the lungs. The mucus also obstructs the pancreas, stopping natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food. Symptoms of cystic fibrosis can include persistent coughing, frequent lung infections and bowel difficulties.
The foundation says few children with the disease lived to attend elementary school in the 1950s. Now, thanks to advances in research and treatment, many people with cystic fibrosis can expect to live into their 30s and 40s.
Dedham native Kelly Doucette has chaired the local walk with Karen Erasmi since its launch. Doucette said $13,000 was raised the first year, and the goal this year is $245,000. Walkers collect pledges, including through the Web site www.cff.org/great_strides.
Roughly 24 teams will participate on behalf of families affected by cystic fibrosis in the area. Doucette said people can join a team, or go solo. The "big family day" also includes music and a giant cookout at the Endicott Estate afterward, she said.
Bob Coughlin has participated in Dedham's walk for cystic fibrosis since it began in 1996. For half of those years, he has walked as part of "Bobby's Brigade," a team for his son, now 7, who has the inherited chronic disease.
"We're looking to have all of the various teams get together, and bring all of their family and friends who care about the person they know and love with cystic fibrosis to come out and walk - not only to raise awareness but to raise money to go to research, and most importantly to go to research for a cure," Coughlin says of this year's Dedham event, coming Sunday. "It hits home when it's your own child, but it's also a day to celebrate the amount of friends and family that come out and show support."
Last-minute registration for the Dedham event starts at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Endicott Estate, with walkers setting off on a 4.2-mile loop at noon.
It is part of Great Strides, a national walk-a-thon for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation encompassing 600 sites in May and June. Great Strides is the largest annual fundraiser of the foundation. The goal this year is to bring in $40 million for cystic fibrosis research and care.
About 30,000 American children and adults have cystic fibrosis. In the disease, a defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce a thick mucus that clogs the lungs. The mucus also obstructs the pancreas, stopping natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food. Symptoms of cystic fibrosis can include persistent coughing, frequent lung infections and bowel difficulties.
The foundation says few children with the disease lived to attend elementary school in the 1950s. Now, thanks to advances in research and treatment, many people with cystic fibrosis can expect to live into their 30s and 40s.
Dedham native Kelly Doucette has chaired the local walk with Karen Erasmi since its launch. Doucette said $13,000 was raised the first year, and the goal this year is $245,000. Walkers collect pledges, including through the Web site www.cff.org/great_strides.
Roughly 24 teams will participate on behalf of families affected by cystic fibrosis in the area. Doucette said people can join a team, or go solo. The "big family day" also includes music and a giant cookout at the Endicott Estate afterward, she said.
Also locally, Bird Park in Walpole will host its first Great Strides walk this year. Check-in there starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, with the walk beginning at 11.
Coughlin, who is the CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, says the day is also a chance to celebrate the significant advances made every year in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Coughlin said a Cambridge company, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, has two "extremely promising" drugs going through the federal Food and Drug Administration clinical trial process. If effective, the drugs would improve quality of life for people with the disease.
Daily News staff writer Edward B. Colby can be reached at 781-433-8336 or ecolby@cnc.com.
