TULALIP – The 11th annual Great Strides Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Walk will take place July 13 at the Tulalip Amphitheatre.

The Tulalip Lions Club spearheads the walk, which is the only one north of Seattle. Lions members from Arlington, Marysville, Tulalip, Seven Lakes, Lake Stevens and beyond participate. About 150 people are expected.

“Our role is getting more people involved so they’re more aware of CF,” said Linda Tolbert, chairwoman of the Tulalip Lions. “Most patients have to take thirty to forty different drugs a day just to survive; we want to find a cure.”

Check in as at 9 a.m. and the walk starts an hour later at the amphitheatre and participants go around the Outlet Mall, out to Boom City and cut through the casino for about a three-mile trip.

Kelsie Pablo helped start the walk to help find a cure for her son, Keldan, who was diagnosed with CF at birth.

“The very first year we did the Seattle walk and that was a long commute for all of our families so we thought why not start one in Tulalip?” she said.

CF is a rare, complex genetic disease that causes an excessive buildup of thick mucus in the lungs, pancreas and other organs. People with CF are prone to respiratory and pancreatic issues and infections due to bacteria buildup. More than 30,000 people nationwide have CF. Life expectancy, thanks to research and scientific advancements, has increased from grade school in the 1950s to age 40 now.

At the end of the walk, participants enjoy snacks and listen to a live classic rock band.

Nationwide the walks bring in about $35 million a year. The goal of the Tulalip walk is $35,000. Donations are 100 percent tax deductible and can be given up until Dec. 31 by going to the Tulalip page at www.fightcf.cff.org.