Great Strides is an annual fundraising walk to cure Cystic Fibrosis. Nationwide, Great Strides events generate over 12 million dollars for Cystic Fibrosis research. There were two walks in the Seattle/Tacoma area this year - Saturday, May 15th, at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, and Sunday, May 16th, at Seattle Center in Seattle. We cannot say enough good things about the staff from the CF Foundation office and the walk committee members, and we greatly appreciate their time and effort in making these events happen.
Tori's Troopers participated in the Seattle walk, and turned in a Trooper-record $4,782 in donations. Carol, Robert, Tori and Jan Contento also walked in the Tacoma event - we didn't collect donations for that event (this year, anyway!) but we bought over $130 worth of auction items!
The Tacoma walk, which is only in its second year, collected $65,000 in donations, $25,000 over their goal. Seattle did $111,000, well above the $95,000 goal.
Here's Dottie Moore from the CF Foundation helping check in walkers.
One of the cool things at Great Strides is the free stuff you can pick up, especially when you have smiling volunteers handing it out!
Meredith Carlson also works at the CF Foundation office. She's a rookie this year, but she's learning fast!
On the left is Tammy Wallace, captain of the Shanna Banana team. On the right is Shannon Kearney, the Great Strides director.
Pete Hall (left) and Rob Cochran (right), the co-chairs for the walk committee. Robert and these guys make up the majority of the testosterone and the minority of the hair on the committee.
This is Pete's wife Kim, with their daughter Annie. They are the nucleus of Team Annie Hall.
Here's a shot showing a portion of the crowd.
Tony Ventrella from KIRO-TV in Seattle once again helped kick off Great Strides for 1999.
Jennifer Bosanko from Tori's Troopers giving her daughter Carson the pre-walk inversion treatment.
A $300 donation gets you a kilometer marker. Tori's Troopers had two this year - on the left is Uncle Ken's, on the right is Grannie and Grandpa Nunnenkamp's. Tori's boost provided by Jan Contento.
Here's Rob again, this time with Chris Hanley and her daughter Chloe. Hmmm, come to think of it, I never saw Rob with his wife Dawn and son RW.
Here's Hannah Dennis, of the across-the-street Dennis family, She had the privilege of being pushed in the stroller for the entire length of the course.
Tori and Laura, two poopered Troopers, after the walk.
Of course, things perked up for Tori, Laura and Lindsay when 'ice cream' was mentioned.
