Shelburne Kinsmen raise more than $6,000 for Cystic Fibrosis

October 18, 2018 · 0 Comments

Written By JASEN OBERMEYER

The Shelburne Kinsmen Club held their annual Tollgate fundraiser over the Thanksgiving weekend to support cystic fibrosis, and successfully raised $6,000.

On Thanksgiving Monday (Oct. 8), volunteers from the club braved the cool and wet weather on Shelburne’s main streets to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) national charity.

“We get permission from the town ahead of time,” said club Vice President Doug King to the Free Press. “We collect money from passing motorists in the downtown core in Shelburne.”

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common fatal genetic disease affecting Canadian children and young adults. It is a multi-system disease that affects mainly the lungs where the effects of the disease are most devastating, and the digestive system, as well as causing increasingly severe respiratory problems and sinus infections. Mucus and protein also build up in the digestive tract making it difficult to digest and absorb nutrients from food.

Mr. King said the annual fundraiser is very successful, as CF is the national charity for Kinsmen Clubs in Canada. “This is our bit to contribute to this national charity,” he said. “It’s our main project for the year for CF.”

There are approximately 4000 Canadians living with it, affecting one in every 3600 children born in Canada, one in 25 is a carrier, and every week one Canadian with CF dies and two more are diagnosed. Cumulatively, CF patients spent over 20,000 days in the hospital and attended nearly 15,000 clinic visits.

There is no known cure for CF. A sweat test, genetic testing, prenatal and newborn screening are some methods for determining the presence of CF.

Mr. King added that the club has had guest speakers who have CF. “It’s certainly our biggest fundraiser of the year.”

The Kinsmen, Kinette and Kin Clubs across Canada have raised almost $40 million for Cystic Fibrosis research and care programs.

For more information on the disease, visit www.cysticfibrosis.ca.