The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Fund-raiser to benefit foundation
Party for Breath has raised nearly $75,000 in three years
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: February 15, 2007
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation fund-raiser Party for Breath is, well, a party. But organizer Wendy Beardsley hopes one day it will be a celebration.
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"I really think there's going to be a time where it will be a celebration because they've found a cure," she said.
It's appropriate that the fourth annual fund-raiser, which will be held Feb. 24, should resemble a party with food, dancing and entertainment because it was as a party that it was launched.
Five years ago, Dan and Renee Dooley decided to throw a beat-the-winter-blahs party. They called it the Winter Beach Blast, hired a deejay and held it at the UAW Hall in Saline.
The idea was simple.
"It's snowing, it's cold, let's have a party," Dan Dooley recalled.
It was a hit with the Dooleys' friends. And when winter hit again, they expressed a desire for another get-together –– another chance to break out their Hawaiian shirts and leis in February.
But things had changed for the Dooleys. In October 2003, their 5-year-old daughter, Amanda, was hospitalized with pneumonia and later diagnosed with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis. Testing on the Dooleys' other two children revealed their daughter Julia also had the disease. Their son, Kyle, tested negative.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. It causes the body to produce abnormally thick, sticky mucus that clogs the airways and leads to life-threatening lung infections. The mucus also obstructs the pancreas, preventing enzymes from reaching the intestines to break down and digest food. Some 30,000 children and adults in the United States are afflicted with the disease.
The news that their daughters had cystic fibrosis fundamentally altered the Dooley family's lives, and throwing a party was the furthest thing from their minds.
But Beardsley, their longtime friend, had an idea: turn the party into a fund-raiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The Dooleys bought into it.
"Within weeks of the news, we were doing something positive," Dan Dooley said. "It set the mind frame of let's not feel sorry for ourselves, let's do something about it."
The goal that first year, Beardsley said, was to raise $5,000. It turned out to be a conservative ambition. The event, attended by more than 300 people, raised $25,000 and quickly became one of the foundation's top fund-raisers in Southeast Michigan. In the past three years, the event has raised nearly $75,000.
"The CF Foundation is just overwhelmed by the success of the event," Beardsley said. "It's one of the most fun fund-raisers you'll ever be at. People really feel they're making a difference."
And they are. In just the past four years, Dooley said he has seen dramatic advances in treatment. Four years ago, the life expectancy for someone with cystic fibrosis was 32; it's now 37.
The Dooley girls lead normal, active lives. They dance, swim and ride bikes. They also visit University of Michigan Hospital every three months to undergo tests. They take enzymes to help with digestion. They put on a vibrating vest to help break up the mucus in their lungs.
"It's an every day thing," Dooley said. "Everything we do is proactive. We do everything we can to maintain lung function."
But the Dooleys are quick to point out that there are many people enduring more aggressive forms of the disease and that the Party for Breath is about more than just their own family.
"This is about increasing awareness," said Renee Dooley. "Our main goal is to reach more people affected by CF and let them know there's hope."
Party for Breath will be held from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the UAW Hall in Saline. Admission is $25 per person when pre-paid by Feb. 18, after which the ticket price is $30 per person.
Entertainment will include comedian Ross Amicucci and live music by The Chance Band. Mongolian BBQ is providing the food. It is a bring-your-own-beverage event.
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