Hundreds took part in the Great Strides Walk at the University of West Georgia Athletic Complex Saturday to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The walk was one of more than ten across the state of Georgia this year to help raise funds to find a cure for the disease. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the U.S. with about 1,000 new cases a year. A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections and obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food. In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond. (Photo by Cliff Williams/Times-Georgian)