Reddy for the Cure was a huge success!

The Canada AM segment will be aired tomorrow, Friday May 28th at 8:30 a.m

We raised awareness and will continue to with attention-getting red locks in honour of Eva Markvoort...looking forward to seeing everyone show off their new hue at the Great Strides Walk this Sunday May 30th!

Reddy for the Cure organizers Greg and Phil getting ready for red

Filming Canada AM Segment

Greg's new colour!

Great Strides blogger Rachael gets a dash of red

Great Strides blogger Sarah goes red to support CF

Special thanks to Mankind Grooming Studio for Men for being a part of this special event and supporting the CF community in their fight for a cure

Great Strides is this Sunday May 30th at the Toronto Zoo! Hope to see everyone there...photos and video of the event to follow...stay tuned...

Get Reddy For A Cure

The story of Eva Markvoort gripped both the public and the CF community. The dynamic young woman, subject of the award-winning documentary 65 Red Roses, passed away on March 27, 2010. This brave documentary shares her experiences with CF, her double lung transplant, and the remarkable friendships she made along the way. The trailer for the film gives a glimpse into Eva...


The film started without funding and the project snowballed, fuelled by the unwavering support of everyone surrounding Eva and the project. Toronto's NOW Magazine featured the film and donated over $3,000 in advertising space to promote it.

Eva leaves behind a legacy of love and hope while spreading her message of the importance of organ donation. In honour of Eva’s passion and her gorgeous red hair, the Reddy for the Cure event was launched nationally. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to speak with Greg Bevis, developer of the Toronto Reddy for the Cure event and close friend to Eva.

“The idea for Reddy for the Cure event came about when Eva received The Summerhayes Award, which honoured her work in raising awareness of CF and organ donation,“ said Greg. “The award was presented to her by Leona Pinsky, who said said she’ll dye her hair red if a cure for CF was found.”

Greg explained how Eva had a talent for turning everyday tasks, even a trip to the store to buy toothpaste, into a fun event. The Reddy For the Cure event embodies that spirit.

Eva's message to the world? Greg smiled and said, "the importance of organ donation and giving blood, but most importantly, her message was love, love and more love." Eva was constantly giving to others, through her blog at http://65redroses.livejournal.com/, her work with CF and her loving, vivacious spirit.

Everyone is encouraged to come down and share Eva's message of love by showing their support at Mankind Salon, 477 Richmond St., Toronto on May 27th at 3 p.m. It will be filmed for a segment on Canada AM, which will help to raise awareness of CF and the upcoming Great Strides™ taking place on May 30th, 2010 at the Toronto Zoo.

For more information on the Reddy For The Cure event visit their Facebook page.

To sponsor the Reddy For The Cure team visit their sponsorship page.

The CCFF helps me and so many others lead a longer fuller life

My name is Hattie. I am 22 years old, and the founder and designer of a jewellery company called: You’ve Got Hattitude. (http://www.GotHattitude.com). I love bajan rum punches, the man behind the camera, vintage teacups, and women in big hats. I was also born with a genetic disease. I have Cystic Fibrosis...but it does not have me.

Throughout my life, my daily routine focused on multiple therapies, including chest percussions, nebulizers, inhalers, antibiotics, hospital visits, picc lines, IV’s, doctors, nurses, x rays, bone scans, ct scans, food supplements, enzymes, vitamins, walking tests, breathing tests, physiotherapists, respiratory therapists…”doctor lingo” is now mine and my families second language.

Recently my battle with CF has gotten harder and the hospital stays longer. My lungs have become damaged beyond normal therapies to help sustain them. My quality of life has deteriorated and decreased dramatically. I am now waiting for a wonderful gift, a new chance at life, a double lung transplant. http://icecreammaplesyrup.blogspot.com/

Children being born with the disease now a days, need the work of the CCFF more then ever. A cure needs to be found, so in their future there will be no need for a double lung transplant for them to continue to live. The CCFF is diligent at helping to raise funds to make this possible.

This spring me and a group of my closest friends started organizing a fashion show called Couture Fashion for a Cure Found, You can check out the event on twitter at @cfforcf. With the amazing help and support of the CCFF, we are hoping to raise funds to make CF stand for Cure Found.

The CCFF Peel chapter has helped us along the way and made it so easy for us to start this fundraiser. They are ogranzied, diligent and extremely knowledgable. They have really been such an asset and are extremley dedicated in raising funds to help beat this deadly disease.

The Great Strides walk is an amazing and hilariously fun event. The simple act of taking a breath, lacing up shoes, or brushing teeth, are sometimes too difficult for someone with Cystic Fibrosis. The CCFF great strides event, gives hope for new research, so people living with CF can live fuller, longer lives.

CF is such an internal fight, which shows few outward signs. This is why the CCFF’s work is so important in helping educate people on the disease. Thank you for everyone participating in the walk this year and doing other fundraisers with the CCFF. The work of the CCFF, has allowed me to grow up in my 20’s, attend university, own my own company and live life to the fullest that I could!

Finding "Normal" with Cystic Fibrosis

Robert Ebserschlag is a father, lawyer, and volunteer with the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Toronto Chapter. For him becoming a father of two girls and discovering CF were the same step.

After the birth of his second daughter, Julianna, his two year-old Sophia began to show symptoms of CF. Sophia was soon diagnosed with CF. Just a few years later Julianna also began to show symptoms and was diagnosed.

For Robert's family CF is now a regular part of life. Each day the girls, now 8 and 6, have a routine of going to physio and taking enzymes. Living with CF has taught the family how to remain positive and look forward in life. One thing they have learned from CF is that every family has it's own version of "normal."

Since the girls have been toddlers they've taken part in The Great Strides Walk. Robert is an active volunteer with CCFF Toronto and has noticed the sense of community it brings to the people involved. "The social component of CCFF and the education component to being a member is very valuable," says Robert. "It's great to be a part of trying to do something for your kids."

Robert has seen the event grow over the past six years. "For me it's gone from a walk with the babies to one where I'm trying to chase them!" This year Julianna is the CCFF's Super Strider for Ontario.

Robert has seen firsthand all the progress being made with The Great Strides Walk in bringing people together and spreading awareness. While Robert is an active volunteer, he says the real heroes are people like Ron Anderson, CCFF Toronto's president and the hardworking full-time staff who make events like The Great Strides Walk possible.

Shannon Price's Inspirational Story: Living with CF

Shannon Price is not just a woman in her thirties, living with CF, she is an inspiration to the CF community. Shannon began working with the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as a 'poster-child' for campaigns. When a good friend of hers passed from the disease Shannon decided it was time to do more, "I felt a call to action." In 2001, she began speaking on behalf of the CCFF, helping people to cope and live with the disease and raising awareness. Then she formed her own team to raise money for the Great Strides Walk in 2002. Since her involvement in the walk her team, Shanni's Little Stompers, has grown to over 40 people and has raised over $122,000 since 2003. Shannon says that being involved with the CCFF community has provided her with the support and encouragement that is necessary to deal with the disease.



"It's my friends and family who have helped me along the way," says Shannon. She admits she tried to shield her loved ones from the pain she was suffering, however, she has learned that leaning on these support systems has been the most important part of living with CF. However, Shannon advises young people struggling with CF to be very vigilant with treatment, don't ignore medications and therapies, although it may take hours a day just to stay healthy. "You should never lose focus because it will help in the long-run," says Shannon. "And have faith always, that things will turn around."