The Thomas More College athletics department takes finding a cure for cystic fibrosis personally. This spring, 85 volunteers walked and ran across the school's campus in "Great Strides -- Walk to Cure Cystic Fibrosis," a fund-raiser sponsored by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Thomas More athletics department.

By walking, running or sponsoring someone who participated, the Thomas More athletics department single-handedly raised more than $1,000 toward the $13,000 total generated in this year's Northern Kentucky walks. That was double the income of last year and exceeded the 2001 goal by 30 percent.Theresa Behan, head athletic trainer at Thomas More, spearheaded the committee that organized the walk.

Behan's 7-year-old nephew, Nicholas, has cystic fibrosis, and one of the members of the Thomas More men's tennis team also is afflicted with the condition.

"CF causes the body to produce an abnormally thick, sticky mucus, which clogs airways and can lead to life-threatening lung infections. The mucus also obstructs the pancreas, preventing enzymes from reaching the intestines to break down and digest food."

When the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was founded in 1955, few children with the disease lived to attend elementary school.

"Today, the median age of survival for an individual with CF is 32 years," Behan said. "I would encourage everyone to get involved with a Great Strides event. It's easy and fun to do. With help, we hope to find a cure for CF in our lifetime."