MADISON RESIDENT ENCOURAGES CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS TO TAKE STEPS TO FIGHT DIGESTIVE DISEASES

Madison, Connecticut – Linda McMahon became involved in the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s (CCFA) Take Steps Walk three years ago when the first walk was held on the shoreline at Hammonasset State Park. Being a resident of Madison for 14 years and walking at the beach most days, Linda was happy to learn there would be a walk nearby. Linda and her daughter, Shannon, formed a team and enjoyed their experience meeting new people and hearing their stories.

Linda has had Crohn’s disease close to 50 years and although she has had many battles including hospitalizations and surgeries, Linda has been fortunate to be in remission for many years. Meeting people at the walk with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis made her realize how many people are not as fortunate and who struggle on a daily basis. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a difficult disease with debilitating effects and not easily overcome. She joined the Take Steps Walk to give back and help wherever she can to raise awareness and money to help find a cure. Linda states, “These are not diseases that everyone talks about, but it’s very worthy of attention and support to help those who are suffering.”

Linda joined the planning committee last year and worked to secure in-kind donations for the food tent and for prize drawings. According to Linda, “Madison is a very generous town and while I was soliciting for donations I found the merchants were more than happy to offer their products and services for our raffle and to supply food and beverages for the people who came out to support us.” Once again Linda will be knocking on the doors of local businesses and hopes they will again provide assistance for the walk.

New this year, there will be a clothing drive at the walk to benefit both CCFA and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern CT. Local residents are invited to drop off clothes, linens, shoes, handbags, jewelry and fashion accessories at the walk (West Beach) between 8:00-11:00 a.m. Linda states, “We welcome all friends and neighbors from Madison and surrounding towns to join us on October 24th to take part in a fun and worthwhile event. All of us who have IBD thank you for your support.”

Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis is a family-friendly community walk dedicated to raising awareness and mission-critical funds for cures for digestive diseases. The Shoreline Take Steps Walk is Saturday, October 24 at Hammonassett State Park in Madison. Registration and the festival start at 9:00 a.m. and the walk is at 10:15 a.m. Linda’s goal is to raise $800. To help her achieve that, please make a donation through her Take Steps webpage: http://online.ccfa.org/site/TR?px=1072426&fr_id=5250&pg=personal or mail a check, referencing Linda McMahon in the memo line, to CCFA—CT Chapter 72 River Park Street, Suite 202, Needham, MA 02494.

The Shoreline Take Steps Walk is sponsored by AbbVie, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Pfizer, Salix, Shire and Yale-New Haven Hospital. For more information on how to get involved with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America Shoreline Take Steps Walk please visit www.cctakesteps.org/ctshoreline or contact Mary Kate Doherty at 203-376-4336 or mkdoherty@ccfa.org.

About Take Steps
Take Steps is the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s national walk program. These walks raise funds for critical research and increase awareness of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, painful and unpredictable digestive diseases. Thousands of people will gather this year at 140 Take Steps walks nationwide to join the fight against Crohn’s and colitis. The walks are family friendly festivals with activities for everyone including games, music, and great food. Funds raised through Take Steps will help transform the lives of those impacted by these diseases, and support CCFA’s critical research, education, and patient support programs. Walk with us today: get started at www.cctakesteps.org. Take Steps is supported in 2015 by Abbvie, our platinum sponsor.

About Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable illnesses that attack the digestive system. Crohn’s disease may attack anywhere from the mouth to the anus, while ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon). Symptoms may include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever and weight loss. Many patients require hospitalization and surgery. These illnesses can cause severe complications, including colon cancer in patients with long-term disease. Some 1.6 million American adults and children suffer from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, with as many as 80,000 under the age of 18. Most people develop the diseases between the ages of 15 and 35.

About the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America
The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) is the largest voluntary non-profit health organization dedicated to finding cures for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). CCFA’s mission is to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults who suffer from these diseases. The Foundation works to fulfill its mission by funding research, providing educational resources for patients and their families, medical professionals, and the public, and furnishing supportive services for those afflicted with IBD. For more information, visit www.ccfa.org, call 888-694-8872, join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ccfafb and www.facebook.com/ccfatakesteps, or follow CCFA and Take Steps on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ccfa and www.twitter.com/takesteps.