FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2014
For more information please contact:
Candice McElyea, 360 Degrees PR
(941) 232-9046

Tampa Attorney Makes Great Strides Fundraising for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Tampa, Fla. – Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP (SLK) attorney Kathleen Bickelhaupt is a driving force for the firm’s involvement in the annual Great Strides Walk, which raises funds for the development of a cure and advancements in treatment to help control Cystic Fibrosis and to improve the quality of life for those with the disease. This year, the Great Strides Walk will take place on May 17, 2014 at Lowry Park Zoo, and this will mark Bickelhaupt’s 14th year participating in this fundraising event for this personal cause, which has affected her family.

In 2001, Bickelhaupt’s son, Grant, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as a young child. Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited and chronic life-threatening disease, which affects the lungs and digestive system of approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States and about 70,000 people worldwide.  Shortly after learning of her son’s diagnosis, Bickelhaupt became involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the world’s leader in the search for a cure and assisting in the development of effective treatments for CF.

Cystic Fibrosis is still without a cure and people with CF undergo extensive daily treatment regimens. However, thanks in part to the Foundation, great strides have been made in the treatment of CF.  The median survival age of children with CF has increased significantly in a short period of time. When Grant was diagnosed 14 years ago, the median survival age was 28 years and it has now increased to 37 years. Grant is now attending college at Northeastern University in Boston and despite the rigors of his daily CF treatments, he remains joyously optimistic about the great strides that have been made in CF research which have significantly enhanced the life quality and expectancy of those with CF.

“We are so grateful for the Foundation efforts which have enabled Grant to have a chance to enjoy college and life more than he ever would have had he been born even 10 years earlier.  We will continue to work with the Foundation and raise funds in the search for a cure and development of treatments so that children with CF have the chance to lead full lives,” said Bickelhaupt. 

Bickelhaupt serves as captain of the Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP fundraising team at the Tampa Great Strides Walk, and has served on the Volunteer Board for the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for the past three years. For more information about the Great Strides Walk or for information about how to donate, please visit www.cff.org/great_strides.

About Kathleen Bickelhaupt

Kathleen M. Bickelhaupt's principal areas of practice are mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings and business transactions.  Kathleen has extensive experience in representing public and private companies in a variety of business and commercial matters and transactions.  This includes acquiring and selling businesses, private equity transactions, business contracts and agreements, and general corporate matters.

Founded in 1925, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP (www.slk-law.com) is a full service business law firm with more than 225 attorneys practicing in Toledo and Columbus, Ohio; Tampa and Sarasota, Florida; and Charlotte, North Carolina. 

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