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Aspiring Race Car Driver to attend "Shoot For a Cure" Event in April 3.10.2004 Jacksonville Office of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Hosts Shoot For A Cure Event April 20; Aspiring Race Car Driver to Speak About His 28 Years of Living With Cystic Fibrosis March 10, 2004 Jacksonville, FL Shots will ring out Tuesday, April 20, 2004, but for a good cause: Clay shooters will help the Jacksonville Office of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation raise funds to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. Teams are forming now for the competition, which will take place at W.W. Sporting Clays, 1455 Otis Road in Bryceville, Florida, approximately 15 miles from Jacksonville. Registration opens at 11 a.m., followed by lunch from Cross Creek Steakhouse & Ribs. The Shoot begins at 1 p.m., rain or shine. Charter sponsor Batson-Cook Company is presenting the event, with support from Adams Interior Contractors, Inc. In addition to lunch donated by Cross Creek Steakhouse & Ribs, Sheffs Everyday Gourmet will provide post-event hors doeuvres. Before the event begins, participants will have the opportunity to hear a CF patient speak about living with this life-shortening disease. Jacksonville native and aspiring race car driver Chris Fowler was diagnosed with CF at six months old. Fowler, who is 28, is looking forward to educating the participants about the importance of their involvement. I am honored to be able to share my story with supporters of the CF Foundation. Although its not easy living with this disease, I am determined to live out my dream to become a professional race car driver. But most importantly, I want to use my talent and skills to raise awareness for this disease and to help find a cure, Fowler said. Fowler still is seeking sponsorship for this season to fulfill that dream, and he is even more determined to win races, as he has pledged to donate 10 percent of his race winnings to the CF Foundation, which is headquartered in Bethesda, Md. Fowler knows his contributions will be used wisely. In the December 2003 issue of SmartMoney, the CF Foundation is cited as the “top charity, when ranked by efficiency, in the health-research category. Claudia Werner, executive director for the Jacksonville CFF Chapter, said, Receiving this recognition reminds our donors, as well as our patients and their families, that this organization is a worthy one. We appreciate Chris sharing his story because no one can explain this disease better than someone who has lived with it. He is in good health and certainly is an inspiration to everyone who meets him. For patients with CF, a defective gene causes the body to produce abnormally thick, sticky mucus that clogs the airways and leads to chronic and life-threatening lung infections. The mucus also obstructs the pancreas, preventing enzymes from reaching the intestines to break down and digest food.
Persons interested in participating in Shoot for A
Cure on April 20 may call More information about the CF Foundation is available at www.cff.org. Chris Fowlers Web site is available at www.fowlerracing.com.
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