65 Roses

Earlier this year, I was nominated by a board member of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Finest as an honoree. I will soon be honored by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at a special event recognizing outstanding young professionals in my community. In accepting this distinction, I have committed to raise money to help the Foundation realize its mission of controlling and curing cystic fibrosis (CF).

Most of the money raised came from donations made by very generous family and friends through my donation page. But of course, I had to create a fun event that would bring wonderful people together to have a great time and raise more funds for a great cause.

I held the event at Riverside Market in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a quaint neighborhood restaurant and craft beer spot. We had awesome entertainment from local music talents Mike Valdes and Carly Jo Jackson, while guests sipped their complimentary brew and ate delicious appetizers. Incredible raffle prizes were also donated from Cycle Party, The Mendy House, Eden Day Spa, Martinelli Winery, Gina Black, Larvacious Creations, Revolution Live, Trinkets for D and Kelcie McQuaid. Each guest left with smiles on their faces and a long-stem rose out of a bucket of 65, that were donated by Flowers Galore. The event raised over $750 and I couldn't be happier to add that to my donation page.

More Information on Cystic Fibroses: Cystic Fibrosis is a devastating genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. More than ten million Americans are symptomless carriers of the defective CF gene. Advances continue to be made in finding a cure, but your help is needed now -- more than ever -- to help keep up the momentum of this life-saving research. When the Foundation began in 1955, most children with CF did not live to see their first day of elementary school. Today, the median predicted age of survival for a person with CF is in the mid-30s. This is remarkable progress, but not good enough. We continue to lose precious lives to CF every day. To learn more about CF and the CF Foundation, visit www.cff.org. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those with cystic fibrosis. Thank you for supporting the mission of the CF Foundation!