My Great Strides Story
Anne Distefano
Fundraising for Wakefield/Saugus Great Strides 2026
Anne Distefano
CYSTIC FIBROSIS GREAT STRIDES WALK, BREAKHEART RESERVATION, SAUGUS, MA, SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2026
Greetings to all our friends and family! We are happy to announce that our annual Great Strides Walk to Cure Cystic Fibrosis will be moved to BREAKHEART RESERVATION, 177 FOREST STREET, SAUGUS, MA. The walk will be held on SATURDAY, May 9, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., with registration starting at 10:00 a.m. The route is a large loop along a large, paved walkway, approximately 3 miles long. Walk as little or as much as you’d like. Take part in field games, crafts – add Kanes donuts, an ice cream truck, sandwiches, chips, water, and great music. There is free parking onsite. Overflow parking is available at the Target next door, with easy access to the venue via a walking path. We hope to see everyone there for an eventful day of fundraising to help find a cure for this devastating disease.
My son Joe has CF, which is a genetic disease that causes his mucous to be thick and sticky, which can clog any hollow organ, leading to chronic, and often fatal lung infections. He has done very well this past year and has been holding his own on the new CF modulator drug, Trikafta, that he started in December 2019, which now has been approved for children over 2 years of age. He continues to do his daily treatments, his PFT’s are the highest they have ever been! It isn’t a cure, but it has changed his life!
GENETIC BASED THERAPIES ARE THE KEY TO UNLOCKING THE CURE! The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is leading the way in applying genetic based therapy research to cystic fibrosis. The Foundation has 13 genetic therapies currently in its Drug Development Pipeline, 5 of which are in phase 2 clinical trials. Genetic-based therapies are especially challenging for CF due to the lungs’ natural defenses and because of the multiple ways that CF affects the body. Each approach requires a different set of scientific tools and knowledge. One of the most exciting aspects of the research for people with nonsense mutations is that the Foundation’s research could potentially benefit not only those with CF, but people who have more than 1,000 genetic diseases. Also in the pipeline, there are 5 Modulators and nonsense readthrough therapies to Restore CFTR Protein approved for patients, with 6 more in clinical trials. We have 3 Mucociliary Clearance products approved for patients. There is 1 Anti-inflammatory approved for patients and 2 more in trials. We have 5 Anti-infective treatments approved for patients, with 5 more in trials. There are 3 Nutritional – GI products available to patients with 3 more in trials. So, we still have some work to do and can’t stop our fundraising efforts until the cure is found.
If you would like to join us on the walk, please register online. If you can’t join us, we would appreciate donations to sponsor Joe or Anne in the walk for his team “Still Breathing”. Our goal is to raise $7,500 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to fund research to continue all their efforts, bringing new therapies to market. If you would like to make a donation, please mail a check made payable to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, to my attention at 19 Driftwood Lane, Lynnfield MA 01940. You can also make an online donation at my personal page: fundraise.cff.org/WakefieldGS2026/AnneDistefano where you can also register for the walk. Your donation is 100% tax deductible. If your employer has a matching gift program, please ask them if they will match your donation.
Please help us in our fundraising efforts. Your generous support has made a lasting impact on the lives of those with CF and continues to brighten their future. If you can, please join us for the walk at Breakheart Reservation. It’s all for such a good cause. Your past support has changed my son’s life and I am forever grateful.
Thank you again for all your support and we hope to see everyone again, Anne F. Distefano – 617-974-7805
Greetings to all our friends and family! We are happy to announce that our annual Great Strides Walk to Cure Cystic Fibrosis will be moved to BREAKHEART RESERVATION, 177 FOREST STREET, SAUGUS, MA. The walk will be held on SATURDAY, May 9, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., with registration starting at 10:00 a.m. The route is a large loop along a large, paved walkway, approximately 3 miles long. Walk as little or as much as you’d like. Take part in field games, crafts – add Kanes donuts, an ice cream truck, sandwiches, chips, water, and great music. There is free parking onsite. Overflow parking is available at the Target next door, with easy access to the venue via a walking path. We hope to see everyone there for an eventful day of fundraising to help find a cure for this devastating disease.
My son Joe has CF, which is a genetic disease that causes his mucous to be thick and sticky, which can clog any hollow organ, leading to chronic, and often fatal lung infections. He has done very well this past year and has been holding his own on the new CF modulator drug, Trikafta, that he started in December 2019, which now has been approved for children over 2 years of age. He continues to do his daily treatments, his PFT’s are the highest they have ever been! It isn’t a cure, but it has changed his life!
GENETIC BASED THERAPIES ARE THE KEY TO UNLOCKING THE CURE! The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is leading the way in applying genetic based therapy research to cystic fibrosis. The Foundation has 13 genetic therapies currently in its Drug Development Pipeline, 5 of which are in phase 2 clinical trials. Genetic-based therapies are especially challenging for CF due to the lungs’ natural defenses and because of the multiple ways that CF affects the body. Each approach requires a different set of scientific tools and knowledge. One of the most exciting aspects of the research for people with nonsense mutations is that the Foundation’s research could potentially benefit not only those with CF, but people who have more than 1,000 genetic diseases. Also in the pipeline, there are 5 Modulators and nonsense readthrough therapies to Restore CFTR Protein approved for patients, with 6 more in clinical trials. We have 3 Mucociliary Clearance products approved for patients. There is 1 Anti-inflammatory approved for patients and 2 more in trials. We have 5 Anti-infective treatments approved for patients, with 5 more in trials. There are 3 Nutritional – GI products available to patients with 3 more in trials. So, we still have some work to do and can’t stop our fundraising efforts until the cure is found.
If you would like to join us on the walk, please register online. If you can’t join us, we would appreciate donations to sponsor Joe or Anne in the walk for his team “Still Breathing”. Our goal is to raise $7,500 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to fund research to continue all their efforts, bringing new therapies to market. If you would like to make a donation, please mail a check made payable to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, to my attention at 19 Driftwood Lane, Lynnfield MA 01940. You can also make an online donation at my personal page: fundraise.cff.org/WakefieldGS2026/AnneDistefano where you can also register for the walk. Your donation is 100% tax deductible. If your employer has a matching gift program, please ask them if they will match your donation.
Please help us in our fundraising efforts. Your generous support has made a lasting impact on the lives of those with CF and continues to brighten their future. If you can, please join us for the walk at Breakheart Reservation. It’s all for such a good cause. Your past support has changed my son’s life and I am forever grateful.
Thank you again for all your support and we hope to see everyone again, Anne F. Distefano – 617-974-7805
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