Being named a 50 Finest Honoree by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a tremendous honor and an exciting opportunity to support a cause that has become very close to my heart. Through this recognition, I’ve committed to raising funds to find a cure for cystic fibrosis and ensure every person with CF can live a long, healthy, and fulfilling life.

This mission became personal a few years ago when a coworker of mine, Mike, very quickly turned into one of my closest friends through many shared work trips, happy hours, and dog park play dates. Somewhere between lunchtime walks and trivia night beers, I learned a lot about his family, especially his older sister, Nicole.

Most notably, I learned that that she was always the first person to aggressively correct Mike’s dating decisions (a role I was happy to support), she had fantastic taste in music, and she could provide elite-level reality TV analysis at any given moment.

Nicole was also born with cystic fibrosis.

I knew a little bit about CF before meeting Mike, but as our friendship grew, so did my understanding of the disease and the realities that come with it. I heard more stories, spent more time with his family, and before long, this stopped feeling like “someone else’s cause.”

Around the same time, I happened to be leading the health and wellness initiative at our office, which aligned perfectly with many of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s events and fundraising efforts. Connecting our wellness programs to the Foundation was a no-brainer. Over the years, our company has proudly sponsored walks and bike rides. We’ve participated in Pittsburgh Marathon weekend as members of the Breathe Team, raised thousands of dollars, and made so many friends along the way.

But more importantly, my connection to this community continued to grow. The more involved I became, the more passionate I became about supporting this mission.

The people I have met through the CF community are some of the strongest, kindest, and most inspiring people I have ever known. Through my friendship with Mike and his family, I learned more about the truths of cystic fibrosis – not just the medical side of the disease, but the daily strength and resilience required of the individuals and families living with it. Supporting this mission means supporting people I care deeply about.

For those unfamiliar with cystic fibrosis, it is a progressive, genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, and other vital organs. There are countless statistics and medical figures I could share, but there is one fact that stands out to me more than anything else: this disease is curable. Not just treatable. Curable. And the cure is possible within our lifetime.

That possibility exists because of decades of groundbreaking research funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Because of that research, the life expectancy for people with CF has more than doubled, and transformative therapies have changed countless lives. Progress like this only happens because people choose to invest in research, innovation, and most importantly, those living with CF. But while tremendous progress has been made, not everyone can benefit from the treatments currently available, and there is still critical work left to do.

I ask that you please consider making a donation to support this mission. Every contribution helps fund lifesaving research, treatment advancements, and care for individuals and families affected by cystic fibrosis. Together, we have the opportunity to help end this disease and be part of medical history.

To learn more about cystic fibrosis and the work of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, please visit cff.org. Thank you for your support, generosity, and for helping create a future beyond cystic fibrosis.