On April 10, 2011, many of us lost a dear friend and a very special person. His name was Christopher John Williams. Chris passed away after a long battle with the lung disease, Cystic Fibrosis. For those of you who do not know, Cystic Fibrosis is a chronic disease that affects your lungs and digestive system, affecting more than 70,000 people worldwide. On April 18th of this year, [just a year and a week after his passing,] I will be running the Boston Marathon for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in memory of Chris. With your help I hope to both support and raise awareness for this rare disease.

     Some of you may have never met Chris, but those of you that have, know that he was a very smart, kind, and loving person in more ways than words can describe. I first met Chris when we were in elementary school, and at the time I knew very little about his condition. As the years passed and we shared all aspects of our lives together, I began to understand how difficult and burdensome it was for someone to live with Cystic Fibrosis. Throughout all of his schooling Chris was in and out of the hospital - sometimes for months at a time, battling through troublesome flare-ups due to his condition. If you knew Chris however, you would know that Cystic Fibrosis did not define him. In fact, many people who met Chris may not have even known that he had Cystic Fibrosis. Chris was the toughest individual I have ever met, and he tackled this disease like no other. I speak for many when I say that Chris taught us the importance of living life to the fullest. 
     In the 1950’s, few people born with Cystic Fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, thanks to years of research and medical advancements, the median age of survival for a person with Cystic Fibrosis is in the late 30’s, with the increasing possibility of living into their 40’s and beyond.    The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has been a driving force in finding a cure for this arduous disease while also helping to improve the quality of life for those whom suffer. With your help I hope to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in its admiral efforts to find a cure for this disease. 
     If you are able to and would like to donate in Chris’s honor for the benefit of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, you can click the link below to be forwarded to my fundraising page. In the upcoming months, I will also be holding several fundraising events, as well as selling Boston Marathon t-shirts in Chris’s memory. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated in my upcoming efforts to run 26.2 miles for Christopher John Williams. Thank you for your time and consideration.