With 'Lunges4Lungs', Students Support Cystic Fibrosis Research

WINNETKA, IL — Almost the entire school community at the North Shore Country Day School Upper School gathered on the quad last week in front of Mac Gym to complete a set of lunges, but not for a gym class or as part of some kind of athletic warmup. The students were raising money and awareness for cystic fibrosis research through a campaign called Lunges4Lungs.

Kate McKown of Evanston is a freshman at North Shore, and brought the idea to the school’s Community Service Club in honor of her cousin Mallory Smith.

Mallory was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of 3 and started Lunges4Lungs when she was awaiting a double lung transplant. The idea behind it is simple: people choose how many lunges they want to complete and how much they’re willing to donate per lunge. They can complete the challenge anywhere, alone or in a group like the students at North Shore.

The money raised through the campaign goes directly toward transplant research through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's new transplant initiative, which is working to improve the care and long-term outcomes of individuals with cystic fibrosis and other advanced lung disease. Mallory, now 25, received two new lungs on Sept. 11, 2017.

Kate said that bringing Lunges4Lungs to North Shore was less about raising money and more about increasing awareness of lung disease and organ rejection. “This was mostly about a service project,” she said. “If we get any donations at all it will be a success.”

Students and faculty alike enthusiastically participated in the challenge, and even Head of School Tom Flemma joined them. Everyone completed 10 lunges in unison, clapping in between sets.

“It was awesome!,” Kate said. “I honestly did not think is was going to be so successful, but everyone was really into it and it was really awesome to see everyone out here.”

_{Photos courtesy North Shore Country Day School}