PFF WALK SUPPORTS PEOPLE AFFECTED BY DEADLY LUNG DISESASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Dorothy Coyle
773-332-6201
PULMONARY FIBROSIS FOUNDATION'S PFF WALK SUPPORTS PEOPLE AFFECTED BY DEADLY LUNG DISEASE
Annual Walk Set in New York, Chicago and Washington D.C.
CHICAGO, June 7, 2018 – The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) has expanded its annual PFF Walk in Chicago to New York and Washington D.C. to raise awareness and funds in its quest to find a cure for pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a relentlessly progressive group of devastating lung disorders.
The 2018 PFF Walk dates and locations are - June 23 in New York’s Central Park; September 15 at Chicago’s Diversey Harbor; and Oct. 14 at Washington’s National Harbor. Each walk will include multiple courses and family-friendly activities.
The inaugural 2017 PFF Walk in Chicago, a highlight of Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month in September, raised $234,000 and attracted nearly 1,000 participants from across the country.
“The PFF Walk presents a wonderful opportunity for those whose lives have been touched by PF to join together as a united community and raise funds for vital programs,” said Bill Schmidt, President and CEO of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. “At last year’s inaugural walk, team captains rallied support from their circle of friends and family. We’re pleased to expand this meaningful event that elicits the support of the entire PF community.”
Pulmonary fibrosis is a group of lung diseases that causes scarring in the lungs, which limits the oxygen intake necessary for the brain, heart, and other organs to function. PF affects 200,000 Americans and results in more than 40,000 deaths annually. Fifty-thousand new cases are diagnosed each year. There is no known cure.
“Living with PF has physical and emotional challenges, and at times, patients may feel alone in their fight, but attending the PFF Walk in 2017 was a wonderful reminder that we are a strong and supportive community,” said Terence Hales, a PFF Board Member whose father was
diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and received a live-saving double lung transplant. “It is a community that understands what patients and family members experience, and then motivated by this knowledge, works tirelessly toward the day when there is a cure for this disease. When people come together for the same goal, great things happen!”
Registration is free, but walkers are encouraged to raise funds for the cause. Those who raise $100 or more will receive a PFF Walk t-shirt. Participants can join a team or register individually. Those who are unable to participate in-person can register for the virtual walk and complete the miles in a park or path near their homes.
The PFF Walk is sponsored by Genentech, a Roche company.
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About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation mobilizes people and resources to provide access to high quality care and leads research for a cure so people with pulmonary fibrosis will live longer, healthier lives. The PFF collaborates with physicians, organizations, patients, and caregivers worldwide. The PFF has a three-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Better Business Burau accredited charity. For more information, visit pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call 844. TalkPFF (844.825.5733) or 312.587.9272.