Scrapping for a Cure - Memphis
Creating HOPE for those with Cystic Fibrosis through Creative Memory Keeping
About SFAC
Meet Kaitlyn McGuire, our personal CFer.
Kaitlyn was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when she was barely 18 months old which was the first of many hospitalizations. In the beginning, we did not understand the battle facing us. We had no clue about the questions that would come and may never have answers. Now, 13 years old, she is still fighting this battle every day. She faces hospitalization every couple of months, but her hope never dims. She has a strong support team made up of her parents, her brothers, dozens of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and many friends she has made along the way. Her dream is a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.
When Kaitlyn was 3, I wanted to take a proactive role in helping to battle this disease. I talked to my husband and called up a few sisters....and 'Scrapping for a Cure' was born. We wanted to help raise money for the non-profit organization, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, in hopes that one day soon a cure will be found. Our organization started out small, at a local resort, with 15-20 participants. We came together to scrapbook for the weekend and help to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. After four years of hosting 'Scrapping for a Cure' in the North Alabama Area, we have moved it to the Greater Memphis Area in hopes to grow and reach more people. Not only do we want to raise money for CFF, but we want to raise awareness of CF in our communities.
In April 2014, we held our first 'Scrapping for a Cure' scrapbooking event in Memphis, TN at a local church. With it being our first time in the area, we chose to host a one day crop. With the help of two local girls, Jill Worley (having a brother who died of CF) and Tara Smith (Kaitlyn's Aunt), we were able to pull together a wonderfully successful crop. We were able to raise $4,000 our first year in Memphis. Our event committee includes: Jill Worley, Tara Smith (Kaitlyn's Aunt), Anna Steinke (Kaitlyn's Aunt), Teri Johnson (Kaitlyn's Aunt), and Me (Rachael McGuire, Kaitlyn's mother). In 2015, Hilton Memphis became our Gold Sponsor and our home for our Scrapping for a cure 2-day retreat. Our 2nd year here in Memphis we raised $8,400! Our 3rd year in Memphis, April 2016, we finally reached our ultimate goal of raising $10,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation! Over the past 3 years we have raised over $30,000! We are so thankful for the support of our community and participants, and the hard work and dedication of our event team. We continue to place new goals for our event and each year we reach them.
Rachael McGuire, Founder SFAC (and Kaitlyn's Mom)
Meet Kaitlyn McGuire,
our personal CFer and reason why Scrapping for a Cure was created.
Kaitlyn was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when she was barely 18 months old which was the first of many hospitalizations. In the beginning, we did not understand the battle facing us. Her life revolved around hospital stays every 6-8 months as a toddler and grew more frequent as she became school age. At 12 years old, Kaitlyn’s health took a nosedive due to liver failure from Cystic Fibrosis. She faced hospitalization every day, but her hope never dimmed. Two weeks before she turned 13, Kaitlyn received a liver transplant at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham, AL. The transplant has made a huge difference in Kaitlyn’s quality of life. In February 2020, Kaitlyn was allowed to start taking the new CF drug, Trikafta. With the new liver in 2019 and then TriKafta in 2020, Kaitlyn has experienced a world of difference between how she coped with life before and how she is able to live life now. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation plays a huge part in making all of this possible for Kaitlyn & children like Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn has a strong support team made up of her parents, her brothers, dozens of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and many friends she has made along the way. Her dream is a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.
Take a look through Kaitlyn's CF journey:
When Kaitlyn was 3, Rachael wanted to take a proactive role in helping to battle this disease. She talked to her husband and called up a few sisters....and 'Scrapping for a Cure' was born. They wanted to help raise money for the non-profit organization, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, in hopes that one day soon a cure would be found. Their organization started out small, at a local resort, with 15-20 participants. They came together to scrapbook for the weekend and help to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. After four years of hosting 'Scrapping for a Cure' in the North Alabama Area, they have moved it to the Greater Memphis Area in hopes to grow and reach more people. Not only did want to raise money for CFF, but they wanted to raise awareness of CF in our communities. Together we can continue the vision.
In April 2014, they held their first 'Scrapping for a Cure' scrapbooking event in Memphis, TN at a local church. With it being their first time in the area, they chose to host a one day crop. With the help of two local girls, Jill Worley (having a brother who died of CF) and Tara Smith (Kaitlyn's Aunt), they were able to pull together a wonderfully successful crop. They were able to raise $4,000 their first year in Memphis. In 2015, Hilton Memphis became their Gold Sponsor and the home for our Scrapping for a Cure 2-day retreat. Their 2nd year here in Memphis they raised $8,400! Their 3rd year in Memphis, April 2016, they finally reached their ultimate goal of raising $10,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation! For April 2017, they raised over $10,000, in 2018, over $12,000, $7004 in 2019, and $10700 in 2021! Since 2019, they have raised many thousands of dollars with the help of dedicated friends and community. We are so thankful for the support of our community and participants, and the hard work and dedication of our event team. We continue to place new goals for our event and each year we reach them.
