Plea to classmates draws participants to event
By:John Patten
Woodfern School second-grader Thomas Bennett wrote a plea that carried a special message to his fellow students to join the May 18 Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis.
"My goal is to help find a cure for me and my sister," Thomas’ note said. He added space for students to fill in and join the annual walk which his parents have been helping to organize since learning Thomas’ sister, Lois, had cystic fibrosis 15 years ago.
Cystic fibrosis affects the way the body processes salts, leading to abnormally thick mucus. It starts off as a lung disease, then the thickening mucus surrounds the organs in the body. Instead of natural bacteria taking the mucus away, the bodies of those with cystic fibrosis hold the mucus against their vital organs.
Some have complications in the pancreas, causing it to not produce necessary enzymes, some get lung infections and after a while they have to get a lung transplant.
According to Thomas’ mother, also named Lois, 15 students have already responded to his plea and will be joining the hundreds of Hillsborough residents expected to participate in the Great Strides events at Colonial Park in Franklin Township.
"Last year, we had over 200 walkers, and they usually bring along family members, so we had about 500-600 people," Ms. Bennett said. At the end of the day, more than $54,000 had been raised for cystic fibrosis research.
Which is good news, not only for the Bennett family, but also five other Hillsborough families with children afflicted with CF Ms. Bennett points out seven Hillsborough children have been diagnosed with the disease.
The walk will start at 11:30 a.m., with registration starting at 10:30 a.m. In addition to the walk, entertainment will be provided and prizes will be awarded to winners of trivia contests and other events.
Additional help for the CF Foundation, the national coordinating group for the Great Strides Walks and CF research, will be coming from contributions made through the schools. Hillsborough elementary schools, Auten Road Intermediate School and Hillsborough Middle School have been collecting money through the sale of "paper sneakers" a $1 donation earns the placement of a paper shoe with the donor’s name.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Great Strides Walk can contact Ms. Bennett at 369-7345, or visit the CF Foundation Web site at www.cff.org

