BK's Bunch
“BK’s Bunch” is excited to be back for the Great Strides walk in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, May 17th, 2025! Thanks to my niece Shelly who reached out recently letting me know her employer/company Evergreene Management Group, aka EMG Management was eager to participate in a charitable event for the local community in Utah they serve. We are very honored they are kindly supporting our cause for this family themed day. This event is to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) whose mission is to provide every person with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) the opportunity to live a long, healthy life and ultimately find a cure to end CF! We’re looking forward to meeting those from EMG Management who can join us as well as any family & friends able to make it for this year’s walk.
We are the 'BKB' Maxwell Family - Brent & Kris and Brandie
Our little family of three first became involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Great Strides walk event when our daughter Brandie (nicknamed Gidget) was living her preteen years in the mid 1990’s while residing in Gig Harbor, WA. Through the Seattle Chapter our Team 'Gidget's Group' took root. We looked forward to this annual event. Here was an avenue to find some positive ways of not just coping in life with CF but helped us all focus more on the many advances by the CFF that provided real hope while we actively raised funds for this reputable organization. We could see firsthand the direct impact for our CF community, CF patients and the promise of changes leading to a better future. Meanwhile as an active duty US Air Force serving family, the years brought us a wonderful life of “Home is where you make it”. Our commitment to Great Strides Walks and supporting the CFF grew far and wide on this path with us.
A decade later as our family moved to California, our daughter had entered her 20’s. It was then ‘Miss Brandie K’ truly proclaimed her greater purpose in this new era living as a young adult with CF. She eagerly threw herself into volunteering at the Sacramento/Northern California Chapter. A reinvented new Great Strides team defined by her more mature self, 'Brandie's Believers' was put into motion. It was a time that brought much satisfaction for our growing up Cali girl yet sadly proved to be short lived. AKA “BK” began to face her toughest health decline. Desperately needing new lungs, just months after her 24th birthday our strong willed girl gained her angel wings instead.
In the years followed by our incredible loss with beloved 'BK', our dedication to Great Strides pressed on. We’ve been so grateful for special friends who are family to us from Brandie's cherished life lived in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. They had Great Strides Teams in her honor continue: longest running team 'Brandie's Buddies' and later 'X's & O's for Brandie'. Through these earliest times of missing her physical presence, the spirit of determination she brought about was still 'striding on' and evident at the Gig Harbor Great Strides Walk because of this. Words of thanks fall short of how much that meant to us and the sincere love for Brandie that continues.
Finally, in full circle fashion here is where Team BK's Bunch came to be. This Great Strides team was formed 2010 by one of Brandie's dear cousins in Utah, 'In Memoriam' and to which encompasses her beginning of life roots, born in Salt Lake City. What makes this extra special is that our girl had hoped she could one day make this happen. By creating a team in Utah, Brandie thought her home town relatives & friends could actually join with her in an event instead of just hearing the fun stories from afar. We can imagine that sweet smile of hers having achieved her wish here.
On her behalf we are forever indebted with our appreciation to ALL who have given and continue with the various kinds of support. Remembering, honoring and STILL believing for our One and Only Brandie K Maxwell.
As her BELIEVERS, parents and a proud legacy to her, we forge on being her team co-captains with the motto, "Won't Stop Believing"! We stay engaged in this near and dear cause to us through various events with the CFF. More than ever we echo their mission statement "Until It's Done".
As we walk again in this year's Great Strides, we continue to do her enthusiastic work knowing this would make sweet Brandie K so proud! We invite you to ‘gather in our bunch’ for this upcoming event. All you need to do to become a member and walk with BK's BUNCH is click on the "join our team" button and follow the prompts. We hope to see you there in May at Sugar House Park! With our humble thanks ~ Love, BKB family
(CF is a genetic, life-shortening disease that devastates the lungs, pancreas, and other vital organs. CF makes it difficult to breathe and fight life-threatening infections, often leading to extensive lung damage and respiratory failure. There is currently no cure for cystic fibrosis and too many people with CF die young.)
We are the 'BKB' Maxwell Family - Brent & Kris and Brandie
Our little family of three first became involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Great Strides walk event when our daughter Brandie (nicknamed Gidget) was living her preteen years in the mid 1990’s while residing in Gig Harbor, WA. Through the Seattle Chapter our Team 'Gidget's Group' took root. We looked forward to this annual event. Here was an avenue to find some positive ways of not just coping in life with CF but helped us all focus more on the many advances by the CFF that provided real hope while we actively raised funds for this reputable organization. We could see firsthand the direct impact for our CF community, CF patients and the promise of changes leading to a better future. Meanwhile as an active duty US Air Force serving family, the years brought us a wonderful life of “Home is where you make it”. Our commitment to Great Strides Walks and supporting the CFF grew far and wide on this path with us.
A decade later as our family moved to California, our daughter had entered her 20’s. It was then ‘Miss Brandie K’ truly proclaimed her greater purpose in this new era living as a young adult with CF. She eagerly threw herself into volunteering at the Sacramento/Northern California Chapter. A reinvented new Great Strides team defined by her more mature self, 'Brandie's Believers' was put into motion. It was a time that brought much satisfaction for our growing up Cali girl yet sadly proved to be short lived. AKA “BK” began to face her toughest health decline. Desperately needing new lungs, just months after her 24th birthday our strong willed girl gained her angel wings instead.
In the years followed by our incredible loss with beloved 'BK', our dedication to Great Strides pressed on. We’ve been so grateful for special friends who are family to us from Brandie's cherished life lived in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. They had Great Strides Teams in her honor continue: longest running team 'Brandie's Buddies' and later 'X's & O's for Brandie'. Through these earliest times of missing her physical presence, the spirit of determination she brought about was still 'striding on' and evident at the Gig Harbor Great Strides Walk because of this. Words of thanks fall short of how much that meant to us and the sincere love for Brandie that continues.
Finally, in full circle fashion here is where Team BK's Bunch came to be. This Great Strides team was formed 2010 by one of Brandie's dear cousins in Utah, 'In Memoriam' and to which encompasses her beginning of life roots, born in Salt Lake City. What makes this extra special is that our girl had hoped she could one day make this happen. By creating a team in Utah, Brandie thought her home town relatives & friends could actually join with her in an event instead of just hearing the fun stories from afar. We can imagine that sweet smile of hers having achieved her wish here.
On her behalf we are forever indebted with our appreciation to ALL who have given and continue with the various kinds of support. Remembering, honoring and STILL believing for our One and Only Brandie K Maxwell.
As her BELIEVERS, parents and a proud legacy to her, we forge on being her team co-captains with the motto, "Won't Stop Believing"! We stay engaged in this near and dear cause to us through various events with the CFF. More than ever we echo their mission statement "Until It's Done".
As we walk again in this year's Great Strides, we continue to do her enthusiastic work knowing this would make sweet Brandie K so proud! We invite you to ‘gather in our bunch’ for this upcoming event. All you need to do to become a member and walk with BK's BUNCH is click on the "join our team" button and follow the prompts. We hope to see you there in May at Sugar House Park! With our humble thanks ~ Love, BKB family
(CF is a genetic, life-shortening disease that devastates the lungs, pancreas, and other vital organs. CF makes it difficult to breathe and fight life-threatening infections, often leading to extensive lung damage and respiratory failure. There is currently no cure for cystic fibrosis and too many people with CF die young.)
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