Walk With Me

Regular readers of this blog (or my prayer blog: bobhostetler.blogspot.com) already know that the lovely Robin and I are enjoying a new addition to our family: Ryder Aaron McCane, born December 27, 2011. He's so beautiful, and we're so grateful. He's inherited his father's hair, his mother's face, his Mimi's disposition, and his Crappaw's table manners. Unfortunately, he has also, like his sister Calleigh, been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, digestive tract, and other areas of the body, resulting in life-threatening lung infections and serious digestion problems. He and his sister must take synthetic enzymes with every meal or snack, do breathing and vest treatments several times a day to keep their lungs working properly, and their parents and others have to stay vigilant against infections and other complications. To increase their prospects for long and healthy lives, I participate in Great Strides, along with others in my family.

I want to invite you, my readers, to join my team and help to raise much needed funds to support cystic fibrosis research. You will also enjoy food, fun, music at the Great Strides event at the 2012 Hamilton - Joyce Park site on 06/09/2012! Great Strides is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's largest, most successful, and most important national fundraising event.

So many young lives depend on the vital, ongoing advances in CF research - to keep that momentum going, we need your help now! Walking in Great Strides is such an effective way to add tomorrows every day to the lives of those with cystic fibrosis. Your enthusiasm and fundraising efforts will help give more tomorrows to those with CF every day.

It's so easy to help - just visit my Great Strides Home page here. There, you can help in several ways:

1) click on "Join My Team!" Then follow the step-by-step instructions on how to register and begin your fundraising campaign for the June walk. My goal this year is for five friends to join me as walkers/fundraisers. The CF website will help you in creating your own fundraising page and enlisting others in this worthy effort. The website also has other useful, easy-to-use features to help your efforts, including fundraising tips, tools to monitor your progress, and easy ways to invite people to make online donations to support your goal! PLEASE consider joining my team.

2) click on "Click to Donate." If you're not able to join my team, perhaps you can make an online donation to show your support. Just click that button (at the top and bottom of my page). It's incredibly easy.

3) click "Send Page to Others." Doing this will create a short email you can send to your friends and associates, inviting them to give to this great cause. It takes seconds, but can be a huge help to me.

4) consider a business sponsorship. Your company can have a huge impact by adopting Calleigh and Ryder's cause as a company effort. Contact me for further information through this blog, and I'll walk you through the process.

Joining my Great Strides team is such a simple and effective way for you to show your support for this important cause. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those with CF!

Thank you so much for any support you can give. I'll report back on this blog with further news about those who join the team, and my progress toward my goals, as well as the larger effort of "McCane's Miracles!"