Mike Hanson, Club Foundation Chair held a drawing to select two members who will have $100 donated to The Rotary Foundation in their name.  Jim Roach and Nate Hockley were the lucky recipients.

These are the funds collected in the bucket at the registration desk and, as a reminder, you must be present to win when the drawings are held.

Brendan Demmy (shown above with Vice-President, Larry Redding) from the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation of South-Central Pennsylvania headquartered in Harrisburg provided an update of the efforts of the foundation to help those with this inherited life-threatening disorder that damages the lungs and digestive system improve quality and length of life.  A few years ago, the life expectancy of someone with CF was age 18; today the life expectancy is 45 years.

 

CF affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat, and digestive juices.  Thirty thousand people in the US have CF.  There are 1,000 new cases annually with most individuals being diagnosed by age 2.  In Pennsylvania there are 1,000 individuals with CF.

 

The CF Foundation is a leader in the field of rare disease research and is recognized worldwide for its role in advancing new treatments for cystic fibrosis.  They are working to accelerate research and drug development and funding an innovative research and care agenda.  For example, they awarded $189 million for laboratory research, therapeutic development, and high-quality specialized care, actively funded more than 40 drug discovery and development programs and 64 clinical trials in 2018.

 

There are 115 care centers across the US that serve CF patients.  Two of those are in our region; Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Geisinger Medical Center.