Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) is a non-profit organization in the United States established to provide the means to cure and control cystic fibrosis. The Foundation provides information about cystic fibrosis (CF) and finances CF research that aims to improve the quality of life for people with the disease. The Foundation also engages in legislative lobbying for cystic fibrosis.

History
The Foundation was established in 1955 by a group of volunteers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition to providing grants for research into cystic fibrosis and supporting clinical trials, the foundation promotes and accredits 115 specialized centers for treatment of individuals with cystic fibrosis. The Foundation has over 80 chapters and offices across the US.

In 1989, scientists working for the Foundation discovered the gene that causes cystic fibrosis, considering the key to developing a cure for CF. The Foundation has been a pioneer of CF treatment, having played a major role in the development and use of four FDA-approved therapies.

65 Roses®
In the United States, the Foundation has popularized the usage of the registered trademark 65 Roses as an alternative to the sometimes more difficult to pronounce term cystic fibrosis. According to Foundation folklore, the term 65 Roses came into being after a Foundation volunteer, Mary Weiss, heard it from her four year old son, Richard Weiss, in 1965. The term 65 Roses is used by children to describe their disease and has been intertwined with the Foundation, which uses a rose as a symbol of the Foundation.